A Fox and His Wagtails
by pain17ification
Summary: Frustrated with recent events, Naruto takes a moment to speak with the Kyuubi, who in turn tells him much needed wisdom. Heeding the advice, Naruto decides to take his first serious steps to becoming a ninja. With the will of his parents, the art of his ancestors, and otherworldly Birds, this Fox will go the distance and bring back the Uzumaki name! NaruHarem (Ten Sekirei)
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

**Okay…** **Now, I know what you're all thinking:**

 **"Dammit all, not ANOTHER story idea!"**

 _ ***anime style rage face***_ **Well, ya know what I have to say to you naysayers?!**

 _ ***calms down with an awkward sweatdrop***_ **Yeah, I got nothing… Sorry.**

 **Anyway, here's my attempt at a _Naruto/Sekirei_ idea! Fair warning, a large bulk of this chapter is actually from the first chapter of another of my stories.**

 **However, that first chapter was vague enough to be used for multiple ideas; including this one! ^_^**

 **Disclaimer: This FanFiction is a nonprofit creation using concepts and elements from source material that do not belong to me. All rights reserved for the creators of said source material.**

* * *

 _A Fox and His Wagtails_

 _Chapter One: Discovery_

* * *

Within the borders of the Land of Fire sat a blonde teen in a bright orange jumpsuit. He was sitting on a bed inside of a hotel room, back leant against the headboard and gaze towards the ceiling. His deep, cerulean orbs were dulled as he laid in thought, thinking over the past and recent events in his life.

About a year ago, someone that he had considered a brother had tried to defect from the Hidden Leaf and didn't hesitate to try and kill him to do so. He still had the scar from their clash at the Valley of the End, caused by a jutsu tainted with twisted, dark chakra; chakra that was able to contend with that of the Bijuu he carried. A sigh escaped his lips as he recalled the ultimate result being his loss of the fight and the failure of stopping his wayward friend from leaving.

"Dammit, Sasuke," he muttered with frustration lacing his tone. "Was our bond really so meaningless to you?"

He sighed again and closed his eyes, putting thoughts of the Uchiha into the back of his mental processing. Coming to the forefront were thoughts concerning his tenant; a being made of chakra and possessing immense power and nine tails. The Kyuubi had surprisingly helped him in that fight, saving him from death not once, but three times. A part of him knew it was just the fox trying to preserve its own life, but another part felt grateful towards the chakra beast.

With nothing else but a whim, he relaxed his body and slowly entered the representation of his mind and the seal holding back the fox. The sensations of the hotel room faded away, replaced by the atmosphere of the seal and the feeling of water reaching slightly above his ankles. Opening his eyes, he saw the cage and seal holding back the fox, and said beast's gleaming crimson eyes poking out of the darkness it resided in.

"Kyuubi," he greeted, surprising himself at how calm he had sounded. How strange it was for one so normally hyperactive to be so…collected.

 _ **"** **Whelp,"**_ returned the Bijuu, resting its head on its forelimbs. _**"Why are you here?"**_

The blonde shrugged, hands in his pockets as he stepped up to the bars of the cage. "Nothing important. I just wanted to thank you for helping me back then against Sasuke. I…" He took a breath before looking the beast in the eye. "I really appreciate it. Thank you."

A furry brow was risen at the statement. _**"What brought this on?"**_

"The realization that I would've died many times if you didn't step in and give me some of your chakra. I used to think that I was strong and could take on anyone…" He sighed, eyes closing in resignation. "But that fight with Sasuke was a real eye-opener. On my own, I'm not much, and most of my victories have been won either by dumb luck, or with your chakra helping me." He started to raise fingers as he continued, "Haku, Orochimaru, Neji, Gaara, Dotou, that bone-using guy who worked for Orochimaru, and now Sasuke… Those were all of the times your chakra saved my ass and gave me the strength I needed to survive."

 _ **"** **And here I thought you had a spirit like fire,"**_ taunted the fox. _**"What are you getting at with this?"**_

Blue eyes narrowed. "Nothing. I'm not trying to get anything out of this, fox. I'm just letting you know that you were right; I'm not as strong as I made myself out to be."

The Bijuu snorted. _**"Of course not. You had guts, there's no doubt there. But when it came to proving your claims… Well, you could savor the fact that they were always amusing to witness."**_

"No need to rub it in. I already know where I stand, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stay there. The Pervert is gonna use these next couple of years to make me stronger than ever."

 _ **"** **Is that right?"**_ queried the fox, nonchalance in its tone. _**"And where exactly is that wart-riddled hermit at now?"**_

That stopped Naruto short. "Well… He's uh…"

 _ **"** **Giving into those so-called 'vices' that he warned you to stay away from?"**_

He cringed at that. "…most likely…"

 _ **"** **And how exactly do you expect to get, in your words,**_ **stronger than ever** _ **if that fool is out gallivanting like the imbecile he is?"**_

"…I don't know," admitted the Uzumaki.

The Kyuubi rolled its eyes and continued, _**"Let's also not forget that the very man you're on this trip with nearly killed you when he pushed you into that chasm. If you hadn't have contacted me in time, you would've died upon impact with the eventual bottom."**_

Naruto winced at the point the Kyuubi brought up. Looking back, he sighed sadly at once again being proven that the fox before him was the main reason he was still alive. Having the truth thrust into his face made him clench his fists in growing anger.

"Alright, you've made your point!" he relented, shouting it out in frustration. "What should I do then?"

 _ **"** **If you want to have any kind of chance to get better than you are now, then what you have to do is take your training into your own hands. If that idiot wanted you to use my chakra within a month just for summoning amphibians, then what do you think he'll want you to do with it in the span of a couple of years?"**_

"And knowing you, you'd make it next to impossible to meet his expectations, wouldn't you?" he asked back knowingly.

 _ **"** **Of course, I would. What do you take me for; a chakra charity?"**_

The Uzumaki couldn't help but snort at the very idea. "How exactly am I supposed to take matters into my own hands when I know so little? I can barely control my chakra, my greatest trick is to copy myself, and my _one_ jutsu that could take down others needs a damn clone to help me do it! And so far, all the pervert has taught me is how to dispel a genjutsu, which should've been taught to me by Kakashi-sensei!"

Annoyed at the teen's complaints, the Bijuu bashed its head against the cage and snarled, making him step back in fright. _**"I don't need, nor want, to hear you whine like a pathetic child! You always go on about proving people wrong, right? Well, then prove it! You can't have someone hold your hand through everything, brat! You're not an infant...or are you?"**_

Naruto glared at the Kyuubi before he cut off the connection between them and refocused on the room he was in. "Damn fox…" he muttered, hating that it was right. Too frustrated to do anything else, he laid back down on his bed and eased himself into a difficult sleep.

* * *

"Alright kid, let's see how far along you are on summoning," declared Jiraiya late in the morning.

With the conversation from the night before still fresh on his mind, Naruto had a frown on his face as he went through the motions for the jutsu. Placing his bloody palm on the ground, he brought out the son of Gamabunta, Gamakichi.

"You're kidding me, right?" deadpanned the Toad Sage at the sight of the small toad.

"Hey!" called out Gamakichi indignantly. "I'm awesome!"

"You're a child who can't fight," immediately shut down the Toad Sage.

The blonde snapped at that. "And you're a lousy pervert who is a terrible teacher!" raged Naruto, letting his frustration take over.

"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Jiraiya asked in slight surprise.

Naruto point towards the Sannin, eyes narrowed in agitation. "Ever since we've met, you've done nothing but drill me on summoning and having me figure out a complex jutsu on my own! When you're not doing that, you're off with MY money, wasting your time with women that only like you for that money, and doing crappy research only to get your ass beat every damn time! In fact, you're so perverted that I have to resort to using the Sexy Jutsu just to keep you the least bit motivated in training me!"

The man frowned back. "You know, most people would've been happy to have received my training. Or did you forget that I-?"

" _Trained the Fourth Hokage_?" cut off Naruto, his voice condescending and full of spite. "Oh yes, because it's not like I've heard you use THAT line so many times before! You used that line to pick up women, and you expect me to think it matters NOW?"

"I'll have you know that I'm a damn good teacher, brat! You just don't know how to appreciate what I'm offering you!"

"And what have you offered me, you goddamn pervert?!" he roared, his chakra spiking in response to his emotions. "A quick death?! Or did you forget that you pushed me off a fucking cliff, into a ravine, with zero chance of saving myself unless I miraculously summoned a toad?! Thank everything worth praying to that I summoned Gamabunta, or else you'd have to explain why I didn't show up to the damn Finals!"

"I taught you one of the Fourth Hokage's greatest jutsu known throughout the Ninja world!" the man argued.

"Taught?! All you did was give me water balloons and rubber balls to pop without giving me a damn clue on how to do it! What makes it worse, I have to use a clone to complete it since my chakra control sucks!"

Jiraiya crossed his arm as his eyes narrowed on Naruto. "Really? And whose fault is it that you have crappy control? In fact, teaching you the Rasenganshould have refined it."

Naruto held out his hand upward as he attempted to use the Rasengan. The only thing that happened was chakra haphazardly swirling around before dissipating. "Did that look _refined_ to you?! If you had actually _helped_ me with the Rasengan, I'd probably be doing a whole lot better with summoning or even my Shadow Clones!"

Without thinking, the Toad Sage yelled, "Well, maybe the problem is that you're a terrible student! It's not my fault you can't learn what I try to teach you!"

That made Naruto stop his rant, his chakra dying down as his rage turned into a look of shock and hurt. It was quickly dropped for a cold glare before he turned and walked away. As he left, he muttered, "Fuck you, Jiraiya…"

That made the Sannin wince, knowing that he went too far.

"You're a real class act," said Gamakichi, frowning at the white-haired man. "From what pops told me, you were just as bad as him; and you didn't have a Bijuu to drag you down. If he's a bad student as a Jinchūriki, what does that make you?"

With that said, the toad went back home and left Jiraiya alone to wallow in the guilt of his own words. He was right; Jiraiya had been a terrible learner and struggled through everything taught to him when he was Naruto's age. To make matters worse in comparison, Naruto had a valid reason for his difficult time learning while Jiraiya did not; and he ignored that just to save face and not be told off by someone less than half his age.

He sighed as he realized his success with the Fourth Hokage had gone to his head, making him arrogant as a supposed instructor. Minato was a genius in comparison to Naruto, not needing anything other than someone to point him in the right direction. And that was all Jiraiya had done; show him the first steps before Minato took over on his own. And then Minato went on to teach Jiraiya the Rasengan! His own _student_ was the one to teach _him_ a powerful jutsu!

"You fucked this one up, Jiraiya," he muttered to himself, self-loathing in his tone.

* * *

Naruto was in the middle of a training session between himself and his clones, three of them against him at the same time. It was much easier for him this time since he had been doing this for a while; not to mention he was able to read the clones all telegraphing their moves.

 _'Do I really fight this bad?'_ he mused despondently, as he dispatched the three clones with a pair of kunai slashes. He sighed as he put away his weapons, moving over to a tree so that he could pull out a notebook. He needed a break, and his muse had been sparked during his rant at Jiraiya.

Not many people knew this about Naruto, but he enjoyed reading adventure stories and was in the midst of writing his own. It started after he found out that it was Jiraiya who wrote that smut that Kakashi read all the time. Based on that, he figured that if a pervert could become a famous writer so easily, how hard could it be?

And so, during moments of free time when his muse was awake, he would write down his ideas and continue his story. Like many he enjoyed, it was a tale of adventure. However, the difference between his and the ones he read was the circumstances of the protagonist.

Most stories had the protagonist from a noble family, or as some legendary warrior. It made the endings obvious, despite how the book was illustrated. For Naruto, he wanted the hero to be like himself; starting off from poor beginnings and struggling to reach his potential.

He even named the character after himself, embarrassingly enough. Menma Uzumaki, a simple man from a poor village that had been razed by the forces of a heartless tyrant. He threw so much of himself into the book's hero that part of him felt that it could've been some sort of autobiography; something that made him chuckle.

 _ **"** **What do you hope to accomplish with this book?"**_ questioned the Kyuubi, slightly curious.

 _'I just want to see how people will respond to something I write. I know that I won't have much luck in being well-liked thanks to holding you.'_

The fox snorted.

 _'But, maybe I can be famous as a story writer. It could happen.'_

 _ **"** **Your desire for acceptance is almost pitiable...but the drive you have is commendable."**_

 _'Am I hearing things, or is that you starting to come around, fox?'_ asked the blond with a mental smile. _'Y'know, we_ could _be friends, if you want? I wouldn't mind starting over with you.'_

The Bijuu rolled its eyes. _**"And why, pray tell, would I want to be friends with you?"**_

 _'…Maybe because I'm the only person you can talk to at the moment?'_

 _ **"** **That doesn't help whatsoever,"**_ shut down the fox in a deadpan tone.

 _'Well, how about the fact that I've thanked you for your help and I understand that I took your chakra for granted?'_

 _ **"** **That just shows me that you know I was right."**_

 _'You're not making this easy for me, are you? I really want to try and establish some kind of connection with you beyond the obvious. Is there anything I can do, besides removing the seal?'_

 _ **"** **…** **"**_

 _'…'_

 _ **"** **…** **"**_

 _'…Well, if you come up with anything, let me know,'_ awkwardly finished Naruto before he cut off the connection and resumed writing.

* * *

Later that evening, Naruto was still avoiding Jiraiya, too angry at having a wasted year under his belt when it could've been much more fruitful. He had asked for a separate room at the check-in desk and was now on the floor above the Toad Sage.

 _ **"** **…** **Boy."**_

He jumped when the Kyuubi suddenly spoke up. _'Geez… You scared me! What's up?'_

 _ **"** **You want to try and start fresh, right?"**_

 _'Yeah…? That's what I said earlier. Did you come up with something?'_

" _ **As a matter of fact, I did. You remember how this Toad Summoner was somehow able to alter the seal on you?"**_

Naruto cringed at the memory. It was halfway through the first year that Jiraiya decided to try to loosen the seal a bit and give him more access to the fox's chakra. Problem was that he was nowhere _near_ ready to handle the corruption the chakra brought forth, making him go into a berserker rage as soon as he accessed it.

 _'Yes, I remember that. What's your point?'_

 _ **"** **Only a practitioner of seals could have any kind of chance of doing what he did, even if he had the key on hand. So, here's what I want you to do; search his belongings for anything related to fūinjutsu."**_

 _'What exactly will this accomplish?'_

 _ **"** **With enough training and practice, you could find a way to alter the seal to benefit the both of us without repercussion. When that happens, we'll become a true Jinchūriki and Bijuu team."**_

The notion sounded appealing to the blonde Uzumaki, and he grinned at the fox offering him a way to establish a friendship. _'Alright, I'll do it. But how am I supposed to get to his st-?'_

 _ **"** **The pervert is out of range with some random woman,"**_ deadpanned the fox, cutting him off.

That made Naruto sweatdrop. _'…Oh.'_

With that, he went down to the lower floor and stopped at Jiraiya's room. Easily picking the lock, he was unaware of a seal lighting up before it corroded away thanks to the Kyuubi pulsing its chakra in a split second. Stepping into the room, he checked Jiraiya's belongings and found a few journals; most of them related to the man's _Icha-Icha_ series.

"Come on… Where the hell are his-? Oh," he said, cutting off his question and holding up a notebook stuffed with papers and sticky notes. "Here they are."

 _ **"** **Good, now head back and read them. And fix up the room, or else he'll suspect someone was in here."**_

Nodding, he replaced everything where he found it and snuck back out, locking the door and rushing up to his room. Locking his own door, he sat on the bed and opened the notebook to the first page. "Alright, let's see… _The intricate art of fūinjutsu is one of the most diverse and difficult studies in the ninja world..._ "

* * *

"Okay… Just need to fix this mark here… Add a couple of strokes there… Adjust the formula…" murmured Naruto as he looked over a large sealing array he was working on. Two months had gone by since he had taken Jiraiya's notebook concerning fūinjutsu, and the Kyuubi had made a mental copy of it after having its container skim through it all.

Being a chakra construct given life had its advantages, and one of them was something like an eidetic memory. It was thanks to that perk that the Kyuubi was able to do this, allowing Naruto to easily replace the notebook back with Jiraiya's belongings so that the man was none the wiser to it being taken.

 _ **"** **You missed a couple of strokes up top,"**_ advised the fox.

 _'Right, thanks.'_ Fixing it, he stepped back and observed his progress. _'Alright, that looks about right. What do you think, fox?'_

 _ **"** **Let's see how it works out. Go ahead and activate it."**_

The teen nodded and knelt down with his palms on the seal. Pumping his chakra into it, the array lit up a whitish-blue and covered the room in its glow. After a few moments, chakra bubbles began to form and float from the seal, each one taking on one of five colors: blue, orange, brown, green, and yellow.

"So far, so good…"

The bubbles began to slowly float in a circular motion, like a carousel before the one that glowed green floated to him, followed by the one that glowed blue; both nearly equal in size. They phased into his body with the chakra rippling like a disturbed lake before the array died down.

"So…?"

 _ **"** **It looks like it worked, and it was accurate. It showed your affinities for Wind and Water. Nice work, brat."**_

Slumping comically in the corner, the Uzumaki mumbled, "I'm not a brat…"

The Kyuubi sweatdropped at how a raincloud had formed over its container before rolling its eyes at the childish reaction. _**"Quit fooling around. With this, we can move on to the advanced notes."**_

 _'Awesome!'_ he cheered mentally, dropping the sulking act in an instant, before he flinched and held his head. "Huh… Looks like the clone I left with Jiraiya finally dispelled. Anything worth noting, fox?"

 _ **"** **Just a spar over the nearby river. The seal held up though, so the clone didn't immediately dispel after the first hit. Although, don't expect this trick to last for too long. He's not an S-Ranked ninja for nothing."**_

"True… I better personally show up for the next couple of sessions. At any rate, I had a question."

 _ **"** **What?"**_

"How is it that I can understand fūinjutsu so easily? I've never done this before you had me take that notebook, so what gives?"

 _ **"** **Tell me, why do you think that red swirl you wear is also on the flak jackets and mixed into the Leaf symbol of your village?"**_

He blinked in total confusion, question marks floating above his head. "Uh… Can I call a lifeline?"

 _ **"** **Idiot… The symbol is in fact that of the Uzumaki Clan and their village within the Land of Whirlpools. You weren't just given that last name by coincidence; you**_ **are** _ **an Uzumaki by blood."**_

"And you know this because…?" he asked, entering the seal and staring down the Bijuu.

 _ **"** **Because it was your mother and ancestor that held me the first two times before you did; your mother being my second Jinchūriki."**_

"My mother?!" Naruto's eyes widened with surprise and moved closer toward the cage. "Who was she? What was she like?"

 _ **"** **Calm down, brat and let me finish. The Uzumaki were known for their proficiency with fūinjutsu, as well as their potent chakra and incredible life force; or longevity. Your mother, Kushina, had such a unique chakra that it gave her the ability to manifest it into chains that had enough power to bind me; a Bijuu with near limitless levels of chakra."**_ Vague flashes of _that_ night crossed the fox's mind as he added, _ **"And she did this while severely weakened."**_

"Kushina…" he whispered, savoring the sound of his mother's name and smiling at how amazing she was. "How was she weakened?"

The fox narrowed its eyes at its container. _**"Are you sure you wish to know?"**_

Naruto stared back at the Bijuu with a hint of desperation laced in his voice. "Please…I have to know…"

The vulpine beast sighed as one of its tails poked between the bars, the tip stopping inches from Naruto's forehead. _**"After this, you may have second thoughts about trying to get all buddy-buddy with me. You should know that before I show you what happened. Last chance to back out."**_

The desperation turned into determination and he nodded firmly. "Show me…"

With that, the tail tip poked his forehead and his vision went dark for a moment.

* * *

The following morning had Naruto seated on the rooftop of the hotel he and Jiraiya were staying at. The rising sun slowly illuminated his body as he looked downward with a thoughtful expression. Last night's revelation was quite the dropped bomb if he was putting it lightly.

How was he supposed to react to finding out that it was a man masquerading as Madara Uchiha – of _all_ people – that forcefully removed the fox from his mother? How was he supposed to take the reveal that his parents gave up their lives for him and that the Fourth Hokage, his own _father_ , had been the one to reseal the fox for the third time and inside of him? It was a lot to take in; especially knowing that the mortal blow to his parents was dealt by the fox itself.

"There you are," commented a familiar voice that he didn't immediately react to.

"Jiraiya… I don't feel like training today… I've… I've got a lot on my mind," he said softly, cutting off the man from saying anything else.

The man stepped over to his student and sat down next to him. "I noticed. Care to share, or is this too personal?"

He gave the man a sidelong look with narrowed eyes. "What do you care? I'm just your _bad student_ , right?"

That made Jiraiya cringe and sigh. "I'll admit that I shouldn't have said that back then. It was uncalled for and unfair to you when you've been trying so hard to get stronger. You were right, though." Turning to look at the Uzumaki, he continued, "I wasn't the best teacher for you. I left you on your own so much because it was how I trained Minato, believe it or not. He was able to get so far on his own that all I really needed to do was point him in the right direction."

"So what, am I supposed to just forgive you for assuming I was some _genius ninja_ like he was? I'm not him, pervert; I've had to struggle at every turn to get to where I am; and even then, it didn't feel like I truly got anywhere."

"I know… I should've noticed right away since I was like you when I was starting out. I always had such trouble learning a new jutsu or skill that I was deemed a loser by many of my peers; especially Tsunade and Orochimaru. When I left you to your own devices, I expected another Minato, but instead I ended up making a second coming of myself before I became a Sannin."

"Gee, thanks," he retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "That makes me feel _so much_ better." Naruto took another glance at Jiraiya before looking back down. "What made you think I was gonna be some prodigy ninja, anyway?"

"I thought that since you looked like him, you might have shared that same learning curve; that zeal to succeed in anything you put your mind to."

Naruto could practically _taste_ the bullshit coming from the old pervert. "So, because I looked like him, I was expected to grasp all that you taught me with just a pointer or two?"

"No, it's just…" The Toad Sage sighed heavily before mumbling lowly, "Why couldn't he have been more like you, Minato, instead of his mother?"

Unfortunately, Naruto heard him. "My mother?!" he asked, playing shock. "You knew my mother and you never told me?! What the hell, Jiraiya?!"

The man held up his hands placatingly. "Now listen, I didn't tell you because you weren't ready to know."

He quickly realized that was the wrong thing to say when Naruto, empowered with the Kyuubi's chakra, grabbed the front of his clothes and slammed him against the wall. Glaring at him with furious blood-red orbs, he raged, "Wasn't ready?! Where the fuck do you get off telling me when I am or not ready to learn about my _parents_?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"…Your godfather," he answered after a slight pause.

Naruto bared some fangs as his head lowered and his hair shadowed his eyes. Letting go of the man and taking a few steps back, he growled out, "Get away from me…"

Jiraiya sighed and left in a Body Flicker, arriving at another rooftop with a frown. "That definitely could've gone better…"

Back with Naruto, he had entered his mindscape again and stood in front of the fox. "Damned perverted bastard…"

 _ **"** **I have to say that I didn't expect him to say he was your godfather. I thought the only link he had to you was teaching your father…"**_

He was pacing the flooded floors as he tried to calm down. "Doesn't anyone think I can handle whatever is connected to me? I bet the old man lied to me too whenever I asked about my parents!" In a spark of anger, he turned to the cage, eyes narrowed on the seal. He moved over to it, gripped the corner, and prepared to pull.

But a hand gripped his wrist and a male voice was heard. "I wouldn't do that, son…"

The statement brought him out of his angered state and he turned to the blonde man grabbing his arm. Recognizing him, he asked, "How are you here, dad?"

Minato smiled to his son and answered, "When I sealed the fox into you, I placed a portion of my chakra as well so that I could show up if you tried to take off the seal too early."

 _ **"** **Well, isn't this nice?"**_ mused the Kyuubi, staring down at the deceased Hokage with a careless expression. _**"I didn't think you'd be here or that I'd see you again, Fourth."**_

"I did this for my son, Kyuubi. It's not like I wanted to see you again."

Naruto cut in, "Dad, the fox has actually been helping me a lot in my life. It helped me-"

"Yes, I know. I was able to witness your life from the seal, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through all of that. I'm also extremely disappointed in both sensei and Kakashi for not doing more for you when they should have," the man said with a frown. "I'm not here to do anything other than to tell you to be careful with what you're doing. Fūinjutsu is a dangerous art if you're careless, and I don't want to have you die when you still have so much to live for."

"You mean like how you want me to be this Child of Prophecy that you didn't live up to be? I'm not a hero, dad; I'm just Naruto Uzumaki…"

"Yes, you are," he agreed as he placed a hand on the teen's head, ruffling his hair with a warm smile. "But, you're also my son, and I believe in you."

Naruto then felt two arms wrap around him from behind. "We both do, sweetheart," declared a woman's voice, making his eyes widen in shock.

Turning his head, he saw some stunning red hair and whispered in surprise, "Mom…"

She smiled at him and turned him around so that he could face her. "Let me take a look at you," she gushed. "Oh, my baby boy turned out to be so handsome!" She hugged him again and smirked at her husband. "He's much better looking than you were, Girly Boy."

Minato sputtered at the old nickname while Naruto and the Kyuubi both snorted in laughter. "Kushina!"

"Oh, calm down, Minato. You know I'm just teasing you." Stepping back from her son, she continued, "I'm glad to see that you're doing so well with fūinjutsu; even if old Fuzz Butt had to get you started."

 _ **"** **Would you rather I did nothing, woman?"**_ the Bijuu challenged boredly.

"Of course not," she immediately answered. "I just wish he started learning out of interest and not as a last resort to get better. I swear, when that pervert kicks the bucket, I'm gonna kick his ass back to earth just so he can die again, ttebane!"

"… _ttebane_?" asked Naruto with a chuckle, making her blush in embarrassment. "Thank goodness. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has a weird verbal tic, ttebayo."

She laughed at his own tic and hugged him again. "At least you got something from me. Although I kinda wish you got my hair…"

"Me too!" he agreed excitedly before tugging some of his blonde locks. "I mean, I like my hair and all; but yours is way cooler! Yours makes you look really pretty, too!"

The woman smiled softly at her son's compliment. "Thank you, Naruto… Did you know that there are three very special words I say only to the men who said they loved my hair?"

"No. What are they?" he asked while Minato smiled and the Kyuubi smirked.

Leaning down, she softly kissed her son on the forehead and said, "I love you…"

Blushing, Naruto gave her a grin that she mirrored while Minato smiled at them.

"As much as I want this moment to last," he began, "I'm afraid that this reunion will be short-lived."

Naruto stepped back from his mother and looked at both his parents with confusion. "What do you mean?"

 _ **"** **What he means is that their chakra is fading. I can feel it filtering out of here as they talk to you."**_

"But I have so many things to ask them!" Tears began to well up in his eyes as he considered what would be the last, and only, time he would see or speak with his parents.

Smiling sadly, but knowingly, Minato approached Naruto and ruffled his hair. "I know this is hard to accept, son; but, I want you to remember that your mother and I will always be with you. Also, I want to give you something before my chakra fully fades." Placing his hand over the seal on his son's stomach, the trio and the Kyuubi saw an orange flame glow from it and spread to his right arm all the way to his fingertips, leaving black markings all connected as a seal array.

Curious, Naruto asked, "What's this?"

"That, son, is the key to the seal holding back the fox. Since you and it are starting to connect further than your mother was able to," Kushina huffed at her husband pointing out her shortcoming, "I figured you should have that."

"You think I'm ready? I mean… I'm not like you or mom, dad," he said, looking down. "I'm not a genius like you or a badass like mom…"

While she enjoyed being called a _badass_ by her son, Kushina didn't like how critical Naruto was about his own skills. "Naruto, listen to me. Sometimes in life we get knocked down and have to fight our way back up. And sometimes those moments last for a long time; like for you." She crouched down slightly and placed her hands on his shoulders, making him meet her gaze. "But, what makes someone a splendid ninja is not smarts or strength. What makes them splendid is them having the guts to stand up after getting knocked down, and to show the world that they're not to be forgotten. That's why I believe that _you_ are a splendid ninja, sweetheart." She grinned at him. "You're Naruto Uzumaki, remember?"

He smiled back at her through teary eyes as she pulled him into another embrace. However, as mother and son hugged, Naruto's parents began to fade; their bodies slowly becoming transparent to the eye. "Naruto," Minato began, getting his son's attention, "don't ever stop fighting for what you believe in. You carry our wills with you; so, don't ever doubt yourself."

He nodded. "I won't, dad. Thank you for everything. I'll make you guys proud!"

Before he fully disappeared, he was heard saying, "I know you will…"

Kushina kissed her son's temple, pouring all her love into it. "I'll see you again, Naruto; but don't you dare make me see you too early, ttebane!" she warned, trying to sound stern as she fought her own tears.

"I promise," he choked out, not wanting her to leave.

She smiled and finished, "Thank you for being our son, Naruto… I love you…"

She fully faded at that, and Naruto stared at where his parents had once stood with tears running down his face. Smiling, he let them run and said, "I love you guys too…"

 _ **"** **Well, that was awkward,"**_ the fox commented jokingly, ruining the moment but still making Naruto chuckle. _**"So, what will you do now?"**_

After wiping away his joyful tears, he turned to the Kyuubi and the Bijuu saw determination blazing in his eyes. "Now, I keep training!"

* * *

Another month passed after his reunion with his parents and Naruto was finishing up another sealing array that was six feet in diameter. His Affinity Seal had sold for plenty of money to resupply his need for ink and scrolls; considering how it had multiple uses compared to chakra paper. It helped that Gaara, now Kazekage of the Hidden Sand, had offered him a good deal for them.

Jiraiya had dropped Naruto off at the village while he met with a contact somewhere else in the Land of Wind. This was fine for Naruto since he wasn't particularly keen with being around the perverted hermit at all. Some time by himself was definitely needed after so many revelations.

Another thing that had been a success for the Kyuubi Jinchūriki was his book. Titled _The Brave and the Bold_ , it was greatly accepted by many readers and sold out after a week on the shelves. More copies were being made and distributed around the Elemental Nations, and Naruto was happily surprised when Koyuki had sent him a letter congratulating his success.

She even asked if he wanted her to bring it to her director for a possible film adaptation; an offer that he happily accepted.

Right now though, he had just finished the sealing array and was inspecting his work. "Alright, the Transportation Seal seems ready… If this works, we could probably establish better connections with the other Hidden Villages."

 _ **"** **I wouldn't get your hopes up, kid. For one thing, there's a very weak Cease Fire agreement between them, and for another, we don't know if this will work yet."**_

 _'Don't be so negative, Kurama!'_ admonished Naruto to his friend, having learned of the fox's name during the past month. _'You gotta think with the glass half full!'_

 _ **"** **Whether it's half full or half empty doesn't matter to me; it's just water in a glass."**_

 _'How realist of you. Let's see if you still think that way after this seal works!'_ challenged the Uzumaki.

 ** _"Do you even know where you'll end up when you start up that thing?"_**

 _"Not really; but, isn't that what breaking limits is about? Jumping into the unknown and facing it head-on?'_ Naruto asked before activating the array, not waiting for an answer. Like many seals, it gave off the usual whitish-blue glow to show activation, and Naruto saw a small distortion begin from the array's center.

 ** _"Well, I guess it worked after all. Go on then,_ Mr. Limit-Breaker _,"_ **Kurama urged, giving the blonde Uzumaki a teasing title.

"Here goes!" Naruto cheered before he boldly stepped into the distortion, finding himself floating through a weightless space of colors before he stumbled out and fell to his knees on a beach.

Looking around, his smile fell for a look of surprise when he saw that he had arrived on an island that had ruined buildings and an atmosphere of loss. Moving off the beach and onto the dirt road leading towards the ruins, he took note of how the vegetation and plant life had overtaken most of the structures, covering them in vines and moss that were sprouting tropical flora.

"What is this place?" he whispered aloud.

 ** _"Not sure. I have a guess, but take a better look around before I tell you."_**

Nodding to his companion, Naruto stepped inside a few of the buildings that had big enough openings. The insides of those buildings were wrecked and damaged, as if the entire location he found himself in was a casualty of war. In one of the buildings, he even found ruined clothes that looked to fit a child, along with a stuffed toy that was scorched and torn.

"This place is so depressing," he muttered somberly, feeling sympathy for whoever may have called this place home. "And the corpses don't really help make it better," he added, carefully stepping around some sets of decaying skeletons.

 ** _"Any insignias or signs that can landmark this place?"_**

"Nothing so far. Was this some sort of island town that was caught in the crossfire of one of the Great Wars?"

 ** _"Looks that way. Keep looking around. I'm starting to think that my guess may be right…"_**

He started getting to what looked like the center of the town or village; an open space that had a massive fountain that was damaged and ruined, yet still bringing out a trickle of water. He saw some wooden carts – most likely for produce – broken and rotting along with even more skeletons; some of them the size of children.

"Is… Is this what war brings; death and misery?" he whispered, feeling his heart clench at the sight of lost life.

 ** _"It's to be expected, considering what war is… This is why I rarely trust humans, for they're so quick to judge and turn on their own kind; destroying one another in the process. And most villages have used us Bijuu over the years to help in their destruction."_**

"I can't blame you for thinking that way… Not after seeing all of this…"

He found himself walking up a set of stone steps that led to a ruined temple; one that had a very familiar symbol on it.

"Hey, isn't that the-?"

 ** _"The insignia of the Uzumaki Clan,"_** Kurama finished, sighing afterwards. **_"So, I was right after all. This place is what's left of the Hidden Whirlpool Village after they were destroyed not long before the Third Great Ninja War. I vaguely remember your mother mourning for the Uzumaki, but I can't recall when she did."_**

"So… This place was once mom's home?" he asked rhetorically, frowning in growing anger as he kept advancing up the steps and stepped into the temple.

It was a rather spacious place, with stone pillars that held the Uzumaki insignia on them while an altar was seen on the other end. Still frowning, he stepped forward and approached the altar before stopping when he saw the insignias lighting up red as he got closer.

 ** _"Defensive measures. Most likely for any would-be thieves out to steal secrets of your clan."_**

"Am I in danger?"

 ** _"You understand seals better than I do,"_** Kurama grumbled back. **_"But, if I had to guess, I'd say that you being an Uzumaki will keep you safe. If not, then it wasn't meant to be."_**

"Very helpful, Kurama…" deadpanned the blonde before he took hesitant steps forward, watching carefully as the insignias kept their red glows. He swallowed nervously and kept walking, watching as the red glows flashed twice before changing to a calm blue. "That looks promising," he mused aloud, taking more confident steps toward the altar.

None of the traps or seals were triggered as he neared it, and he had a relieved smile on his face when he was able to step up to the altar and look down at the sealing inscription etched atop it. He hummed thoughtfully as he looked it over, studying the illustrations and markings while smiling at the familiar swirl acting as the base of the seal.

"Looks like it's a key of some sort," he noted, placing his right palm atop the seal and pushing chakra into it. His chakra linked to the seal, and he slowly turned his hand counterclockwise while feeling the flow of his chakra increase and move passed some sort of blockage.

The seals on the pillars lit up once more, this time glowing pure white before they all sunk into the ground and the center of the temple's floor sunk in on itself and formed into a set of descending stairs. Grinning at his find, Naruto moved over to the new passage and made his way down, excitement fueling him.

As he descended into the darkness, more seals activated and began to provide light to guide him. At the bottom of the steps, he saw another altar; only, this one had a massive scroll with his clan insignia proudly emblazoned on it. In front of that altar was a wall of white fire with violet tips and embers. Blue eyes narrowed at the flames, and Naruto approached the fire determinedly.

The flames reacted to his presence, engorging themselves and forming into a vague dragon shape that roared at him before lunging. Naruto stood his ground, unafraid of the fiery dragon's head that raced towards him before changing trajectory and coiling around him. The whites of the dragon's "eyes" stared into his fearless azure orbs, the stare down lasting for a few seconds before the fire receded and moved to the many torches within the chamber.

A pleased smile formed on his face as he approached the scroll, removing it from the altar before pulling out a smaller one to seal it into. With his clan's obvious treasure safely stored and clipped to his belt, Naruto returned to the surface and reclosed the stairway before leaving the temple; making sure to bow to the altar's key and offer a silent prayer for his lost ancestors.

He began to descend the steps leading away from the temple, but a strange object that was seen halfway buried on a different patch of beachline caught his eye. Curious at what it could possibly be, he leapt away from the temple and jumped across some of the ruins to cut through the island and land near the object.

It was rather large, and oddly shaped, with damaged fins that appeared to be made of a strange metal. A large gash was seen on the side; big enough for him to leap through. This was something he did without thought, landing inside of the odd structure and seeing how the inside outclassed the outside in oddness.

For starters, the inside was made of another strange metal, and there were screens that looked like television monitors. Connecting to those monitors were tubes that had small slots giving off flickering lights at random intervals.

"Okay… So, on a scale of 1 to 10 on the Weirdness Scale, I'm giving this place a solid 9."

 ** _"Oh, the irony…"_** Kurama deadpanned.

Chuckling at his tenant's response, Naruto made his way down the corridor and marveled at how the doors before him opened on their; even if some of them struggled to do so because of the damage. When he reached what he hoped to be the core of the structure, he blinked at the circular chamber that held human-sized tubes filled with unconscious people in strange blue-green liquid.

"Uh… Probably better crank that score up to 11…" he muttered as he stepped further into the chamber and saw how each of the tubes held a number above them. Curious, he formed a couple of clones and had them do a count of just how many people were resting in this place. After a couple minutes, they returned.

"Looks like there are one hundred and eight of these tubes in this place, Boss," one of them said.

"The _really_ weird thing, though," the other added, "was how a few of them seemed to shift in their sleep when we got close."

"Shift?" he repeated.

"It'd be better if you saw for yourself," they both answered before dispelling and giving Naruto the memories.

Taking a moment to adjust to the mental input, he turned to the tube marked "#01" and approached it. Inside, floating in the liquid, was a resting woman who looked human. He fought a blush at her nude form, silently admiring her stunning figure and flowing hair that looked like it could've been purple; though it was hard to tell because of the blue-green liquid.

Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the glass of the tube and gasped softly in surprise when he saw her brows twitch faintly. They furrowed sporadically before relaxing, and he saw her eyes clench for a brief moment before they slowly opened. When she raised her head and met his gaze, he found himself utterly breathless at her beauty, keeping his hand pressed against the glass.

Slowly, he saw her raise her own hand and press it against the glass on her side, and for some reason, he felt his heart begin to race. Her eyes stayed on him for a few more moments before they closed once again, and Naruto instinctively stepped back when he felt a large buildup of foreign energy that spiked when her eyes shot open once more.

In a burst of pure force, the glass containing her shattered, spilling the liquid she floated in onto the floor of the chamber as she fell forward. He was quick to move in and catch her in his arms before she fell, taking a knee as he held her up and gazed down at her.

She coughed out any liquid stuck in her lungs before opening her eyes and locking them with his once again. With the faintest coloring of pink on her cheeks, she slowly raised a hand up to rest against his cheek and brought their faces closer.

With a breathless whisper, she smiled softly and declared to him, "Ashikabi," before gently melding her lips with his, stunning him with a kiss while bright energy erupted from her back, taking the form of massive purple wings.

He was taken aback by the feel of his first genuine kiss, and Naruto couldn't help but return it as he held the mystery woman close to him. All the while, he was unaware that nine other sleeping figures had started shifting in their own tanks.

* * *

 **Tada! Here's the first chapter of my idea; posted on Valentine's Day, no less!**

 **I figured that the Day of Love was a fitting time to post this, considering how the Sekirei are so set on finding their Ashikabi; those who they love.**

 **I already have Naruto's ten Sekirei decided! No requests or suggestions will be accepted!**

 **Hope you guys liked the chapter and are excited for more!**

 **Until next time!**

 ** _~pain17ification~_**


	2. Chapter 2: The Birds Beyond the Stars

**Thank you SO much for your feedback and support! Here comes my update!**

 **Disclaimer: This FanFiction is a nonprofit creation using concepts and elements from source material that do not belong to me. All rights reserved for the creators of said source material.**

 **(-)**

 _A Fox and His Wagtails_

 _Chapter Two: The Birds Beyond the Stars_

 **(-)**

"So…you and the others back there are actually a race of people that live on another planet?" Naruto asked, sitting across from the woman he freed on the beach. He had spent the last hour asking her about who she was and just _what_ the people found in the crashed ship were.

To lessen the awkwardness of how she had been found naked, he had a clone find her some clothes to wear, giving her a purple hakama, a white haori with a sash-like belt, wooden sandals, and a white ribbon that she used to partially hold her hair in place. The clothes, thankfully, fit her and she seemed comfortable wearing them.

Giving him a nod, she replied, "Yes, though the planet we once called our home is now lost to us. Along with our ship, seven others were sent out into space to find a new home. My ship held the highest count of Sekirei compared to the others, carrying-"

"One-hundred and eight," Naruto finished. "So, does the number on your tank have anything to do with you?"

"The number indicates age for us Sekirei. In my case, I am the eldest of my group; so, I was given the first suspension tank."

"I see… So, what will you do now, Miya?" he asked, using the name she had introduced herself as.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked with a gentle smile. "I plan to stay by your side. As my Ashikabi, that means that I belong to you. I am yours, and you are mine."

He blushed at the sincerity in her voice and how deeply she felt about the bond she had created with him. From the moment she kissed him, a link had been formed and he was able to sense what she was feeling through it.

The link also went both ways, and Miya knew more about him in a few seconds than his friends had over the years. She accepted him for who he was, flaws and all; not even caring that he had a destructive construct of chakra with a conscious sealed within him.

"What about the others?" Naruto continued, looking to the ship a few yards away from their position.

"It's my duty as their Pillar to look after them. I ask that you, as my Ashikabi, help me do that."

"You know you don't need to ask me that," he replied with a smile. "They're your people, and they're important to you. If their safety is your wish, then I'll help you with that; I promise."

She smiled gratefully, being reminded of just how important her Ashikabi held his promises. Looking past him, she gazed towards the ruins of his ancestral home and asked, "Would it be better to keep them here?"

Looking behind him, he pondered her question for a moment and compared the pros and cons of having the Sekirei stay in the Whirlpool and bringing them to the Leaf. The Hidden Whirlpool, even if it was in ruins, was the better option simply because it was out of the public eye. No one had come here for years; whether it was by choice or by inability didn't matter. Meanwhile, moving them to the Hidden Leaf was too risky. There were too many greedy types that would seek to exploit the Sekirei, not even caring about their latent abilities or if they held free will and the ability of _choice_.

The answer was obvious.

"It'll take a while to rebuild this place, but I believe they'd be safest here," he answered, turning back to her. "I wanted to try and restore this place anyway after I arrived here. Seeing it like this and _knowing_ it's an important link to my ancestry are all the reasons I need. Giving you and your people a home is just another important reason to add to the list."

She nodded in understanding, a grateful expression aimed towards him. "Thank you…"

"First thing we should do, though, is wake up any other Sekirei that are ready to."

"The ones that are shifting in their sleep are more than likely reacting to you, Naruto-kun," Miya explained. "This means that you could be their Ashikabi as well."

"Wait… Aren't I already _your_ Ashikabi?" he asked curiously.

She chuckled at the query. "More than one Sekirei can react to a single Ashikabi. It's happened before, after all."

"I never knew that, remember? Speaking with you and finding this ship has been my first and only form of contact with your race."

 _ **"** **Don't forget locking lips with her,"**_ Kurama teased, making his partner blush.

"I remember, Naruto-kun. I'm just informing you that having more than one Sekirei isn't uncommon."

"…I can't help but think you're talking like you and your people are possessions to add to a growing collection," he admitted. "I know you aren't, but still…"

"It's a lot to accept, isn't it?" she asked, moving over to him.

"Yeah… You've gotten glimpses of my life through our bond, so you know how hard it's been for me to form lasting connections with people; let alone anything on a romantic level."

"And part of you can't help but slightly doubt what I'm saying; afraid that it's a lie or simply programmed into me," she deduced, earning a despondent nod. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek and made him look at her. "Naruto-kun, if it wasn't for you, my people and I wouldn't have been discovered for a long time. Maybe it was by accident, maybe it was meant to be; I honestly couldn't care." She gazed deeply into his azure eyes. "What I _do_ care about is you and I my people. You are my Ashikabi, and it's because of the life you've led and how it shaped you into the man you are that I can say that with the utmost confidence." Leaning in, she captured his lips in a gentle kiss, sending him the message of how she truly felt for him. When she pulled away, she smiled softly at him and declared, "I am yours…and you are mine."

He breathed out a chuckle at that, a stray tear falling at the warmth and love he felt from their bond. With the utmost care, he reached up and grasped the hand she had on his cheek, pulling it away so that he could kiss her knuckles. "Thank you, Miya-chan…"

Her smile remained as she stood by her Ashikabi; the man she could trust with her heart.

 **(-)**

Gaara hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the empty room that had been offered to his brother in all but blood. There was evidence of sealing formulas on the floor, corroded away from what he deduced was a one-time use. Whatever the seal did, it took Naruto somewhere and was strong enough to disrupt everything around it, shown by how the furniture of the room had been tossed around haphazardly.

"What are you thinking, Gaara?" Temari asked, crouching down to get a better look at the formula.

"I think that we shouldn't be too worried. He _did_ say that he was going to practice a seal during his visit. My guess is that his test run worked."

"Should we inform Lord Jiraiya or the Hokage?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "Not now. We'll wait a couple of days for any word from Naruto before we inform them. For now, have someone carefully clear out the room without disrupting the formula. Even if it looks used up, it could be how Naruto will get back."

"Right. I'll get someone on it right away," Temari promised as she followed her youngest brother out of the hotel. "Did he ever take a look at your seal?"

"We made plans for him to observe it tomorrow; but, it'll have to wait until he returns or we find him."

"How do you think it will go?"

"I have hope, but I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't do anything right away. It's fine, though. I've lived with this seal my entire life. I can endure it for a while longer."

"You know that Kankuro and I are here if you need us," she assured him, earning a faint smile from him.

"I know…"

 **(-)**

Naruto frowned in concern when he saw how disheartened Miya looked at her fellow Sekirei still asleep in their tanks. "Do you know how we could free them?"

"Unfortunately, no. I was able to break out after waking up, and I woke when I felt your presence." She turned to him and continued, "Sekirei can naturally feel the bond that they have with their Sekirei. My guess is that the tanks can be opened from the inside; but I bypassed that out of…excitement."

She blushed faintly at her confession, making Naruto smile. "Well, at least I can brag about making a woman excited."

"Ara?" she started, smiling sweetly while a dark miasma formed around her, taking the shape of a demonic mask. "And who would you be bragging to, Naruto-kun?"

He sweatdropped at the mask, and Kurama looked impressed at the physical manifestation of her intent. "I wasn't _really_ going to brag, Miya-chan; honest."

The mask dispersed, and her smile became more genuine. "I know," she assured, beckoning him to her side. "We should see which of my kin are reacting to you so that they can wake up."

"I still find this very weird… I would be happy to have one woman in my life; but, you're making it sound like I'm going to have many."

"I told you, Naruto-kun; more than one Sekirei can have the same Ashikabi. Besides," she turned to him with a smile, "I believe you'd be able to love us all equally. You cherish the bonds you've made; that's been made obvious in every glimpse I saw of your life. I have faith in you."

He smiled back before he stepped up to Tank #02. "Who's in this tank?"

"Matsu, Sekirei #02. She's known as the Wisdom Sekirei and has incredible knowledge and technological skills. Though, that might prove problematic for her since your planet's technology isn't exactly advanced."

"We never really had a need for it," Naruto replied with a shrug. "We have chakra at our disposal, and the technology we have is more than enough for us to get by. But, maybe we can salvage some equipment from the ship for Matsu to use?"

"That should work."

Stepping closer to the glass, Naruto saw another beautiful woman with flowing red hair the floated in the tank's liquids. Like with Miya, Naruto pressed his hand to the glass and waited. He didn't wait long, and Matsu's eyes slowly opened, looking up to match his gaze.

 _"Ashikabi…?"_

He blinked at the female voice in his head, guessing that it was Matsu somehow. In response, he gave her a small smile that she returned. He then saw her reach down and press something, which made the tanks drain and the access unlock. Able to leave, she tried to stand; but her legs gave out from their lack of use.

Naruto caught her easily enough and carried her out of the tank, setting her down next to Miya. "Welcome to my planet, Matsu. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

She frowned at him, rubbing her eyes briefly before pouting. "I can barely see you…"

That surprised the blonde Uzumaki, and he turned to Miya. "Sekirei can have eye problems?"

"We can have illnesses and physical impairments like any other race, Naruto-kun. Matsu may simply need some glasses," she answered.

"Well, that's another thing I'll need to look for, then." He looked back to Matsu, grasping her hand gently. "If you're reacting to me, then I'm more than happy to accept you as a part of my life, Matsu. If not, then I'll still welcome your company and keep you safe; I promise."

He cheeks flushed at his sincerity, her other hand grabbing the hand that held hers. "Please… Give me my wings, Naruto-sama…"

"None of that," he cut off. "I'm not someone who will control you. I'm not you're better or your master; I'm simply Naruto Uzumaki."

Her heart warmed at that and she leaned up to meld her lips to his, gaining her wings and solidifying the bond she had felt from him. When she pulled away, she closed her eyes and focused on the mental flashes she had received from Naruto, viewing the brief glimpses of his life just as Miya had done.

When she finished, she looked to him in slight surprise, amazed that someone who had lived his life could remain so bright and hopeful.

Naruto gave her one last smile before turning to Miya. "I'm going to see who else will wake up. Could you take Matsu into the village and look for some clothes and glasses for her? If anyone else reacts to me, I'll send them out with a clone to find you."

Miya nodded her agreement. "I'll handle it, Naruto-kun. Come, Matsu. Let's find you something to cover you up."

Stirred from her brief stun, Matsu stood up with Miya's help and turned to her Ashikabi. "Don't take too long, Naruto-tan."

He chuckled at the suffix she added, nodding to her. "I'll meet up with you again soon."

With that, he moved on to the next tank while Miya led Matsu out of the ship.

 **(-)**

Seven awakened Sekirei later found Naruto standing in front of the last tank of the ship. This one held the youngest looking of all the one-hundred and eight Sekirei, appearing to be a little girl with long and messy blonde hair that reached down to her knees.

Part of Naruto felt that this was wrong, that the age difference between himself and Sekirei #108 was too much to consider her as a romantic partner like the others. Another part reminded him of something that Tsunade had told him in one of her letters she wrote to him throughout his trip; _Love knows no boundaries_.

It was something she had wrote when he had confessed in a letter that he wasn't sure about what type of girl he'd find in his life; citing that Sakura would never see him the way he once saw her since she claimed to love Sasuke. The Senju had assured him to not give up hope and that he'd find someone special someday.

He chuckled to himself at that. Turns out he found _more_ than "someone special".

Back to the girl in the tank, Naruto saw her eyes clench briefly before they opened. She looked to him in confusion before floating over to the glass of the tank. She put her hands against it with a pleading expression, and he smiled at her to reassure her.

"It's going to be alright, I promise." Using a gesture to help get his point across he warned, "Get back from the glass, Kusano-chan."

Watching him mime pushing away from the glass, she nodded and moved as far away from it as she could. She then saw form a ball of blue light in his hand that spun at high speed before he pressed it against the glass, breaking it with ease and catching her when the flowing liquid pushed her toward the newly made hole.

Safely in his arms, she looked up at him with her bright green eyes and blushed when she saw him smile and felt his warmth. "There you go," he spoke, moving away from the glass on the floor and setting her down on her feet. "You okay now, Kusano-chan?"

She nodded, smiling brightly at him. "I'm okay. Thank you."

He chuckled at her innocence, reaching his hand up to pat her head and gently ruffle her hair. "That's good. You were sleeping for a long time, Kusano; you and some of your sisters. The rest of your siblings are still sleeping, though."

"They are?" she asked, looking to the tank beside hers. "Shiina? Why are you still sleeping?"

"He's waiting," Naruto answered, earning her attention. "He won't wake up until his Ashikabi comes, and I'm not his Ashikabi." Mentally, he was thankful for that since it'd be very awkward to have a male Sekirei when he was straight. However, he also felt bad for Kusano since she seemed worried for this Shiina. _'They must've been close before they left the planet…'_

"Oh…" Kusano replied sadly, looking down. A gentle grip on her chin raised her head up to meet Naruto's gaze again.

"Don't worry, Kusano. We'll find his Ashikabi someday."

The hopefulness in her eyes made his heart nearly burst. It was such an incredible mix of cute and sympathetic. "You promise…?"

"I promise," he assured her, holding out his pinky to her. "In fact, I pinky promise you. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Her eyes welled up with tears as she held up her own pinky, letting him wrap his around it. "Okay… But don't die, though. I don't want to lose anyone…"

Ruffling her hair again, he nodded in understanding and picked her up again. "Let's go meet the others, okay?"

She nodded as she rested her head against his chest. As he walked to the exit, she started to nod off before a compulsion rushed through her. Gripping his shirt, she tugged it a few times to get his attention before beckoning him closer. When he complied, she surprised him with a kiss that gave Kusano her wings and formed a lasting bond between them both.

Pulling away, she snuggled into his chest with a smile, murmuring out a tired, "Ashikabi…" before falling asleep.

Naruto was left frozen in place at the feeling of the tenth bond being formed. He looked down at the sleeping Sekirei in his arms, his gaze going sad briefly. "Kusano… Even you, huh?" The sadness became a fierce determination, and he unconsciously held her closer as he declared, "I'll keep you and everyone else safe. I promise…"

 **(-)**

Gaara sat in his office, finishing off the last of the paperwork currently on his desk and preparing to head home for dinner with his siblings. It had been a day since Naruto's absence, and he was planning to wait one more before sending a message to Tsunade about the issue.

"Yo! You Gaara?" an unfamiliar voice called out, making Gaara look up from his work and see no one. "Down here!"

Peering over his desk, green eyes blinked at the sight of a blue toad the size of a housecat on the floor. "…Did Naruto send you?" he asked after a brief pause.

"Well, that saves me an explanation at least. Yeah, I was sent by Blondie. He asked me to give you this scroll," the toad informed the Kazekage, regurgitating the scroll in question and offering it to the redhead by means of his long tongue. After Gaara took it, with a slight twitch of his brow due to the drool on it, the toad bid, "Well, I did what I came for."

"Shouldn't you wait in case I have a message for him?"

The toad paused his actions, sitting frozen in place for a few moments before palming his face with a webbed hand. "Cripes… Can't believe I forgot about that… Yeah, I'll stick around."

Nodding in thanks, Gaara turned his attention to the scroll and opened it to see what his friend had written. Reading through it, the only sign of disbelief he showed outwardly was a mere raising of his brow. "Interesting…" he mused aloud, taking an empty scroll and writing a quick response. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" the toad replied, using his tongue to take the scroll before swallowing it whole like the previous one. "Be seeing you, Sandman!"

A brief puff of smoke later, and the toad was gone. Alone in his office, Gaara smirked to himself at the toad's title for him and at how his friend was indeed just fine. "But still… To have arrived at the ruins of his ancestral home of all places… I suppose you _do_ have the devil's luck, Naruto."

 **(-)**

Like with Gaara, Tsunade had also received a message via toad. She was so used to the toad "mailing service" that Jiraiya liked to exploit over the years that she didn't even bat an eyelash at the small toad spitting out a scroll from her own mouth.

"This from the Pervert or from Naruto?" she asked as she untied the scroll.

"It's from Naruto-san, Lady Tsunade," the toad, Gamaharu, replied in a soft voice. She was the only daughter of Gamaken, one of the three battle toads of the clan.

"From the brat, huh? Let's see what he has to say now." She unfurled the scroll across her desk and began to read through her fellow blonde's writing. Certain parts captured her interest, but the biggest surprise came at the end.

 _"After I received the scroll hidden beneath the Uzumaki Temple, I found this weird ship that was partially buried on a stretch of beach. I checked it out for myself and saw that there were people inside of it; one-hundred and eight of them, to be exact. Each person was in a tank filled with this bluish-green liquid that looked like it was keeping them healthy; but, when I had my clones go and count the tanks, they told me that ten of the people in them shifted in their sleep when they got close._

 _I decided to see for myself after I dispelled them, heading to the first tank to see what would happen. There was this woman inside. She…_

 _Baa-chan, I won't lie; she was probably one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen."_

She chuckled at his honesty, imagining him looking either embarrassed or bashful at having admitted such a thing to her.

 _"And like my clones said, she shifted in her sleep before she woke up. There was a moment where everything just…stopped. It was almost like nothing else mattered except for us, and she broke out of her own tank with a burst of raw power I've never felt before. I caught her before she fell, and she called me her "Ashikabi" before kissing me."_

A slender brow rose at that, partly amused and partly curious.

 _"Here's where it got weirder though: she had these wings of bright light burst out from her back as we kissed, and I saw these flashes of places and things I'd never seen before in my head. When we stopped, she introduced herself as Miya and declared herself as my Sekirei._

 _I've asked her lots of questions about her people, and during our talk, I found out that the mental images went both ways. She saw glimpses of my life, seeing more of me than I've shown anyone before._

 _More than you, even…"_

Now, _that_ was something Tsunade wasn't expecting. She had thought that Naruto and herself were close; but it should've been obvious that he'd keep some things close to the chest. Even if it was with someone he cared about.

For this "Miya" to have seen more than anyone else… It was both surprising and concerning.

 _"After our talk, we headed back to the ship and I was able to get nine more of these Sekirei to wake up from their sleep; each of them declaring me as their Ashikabi. It's still hard to believe, honestly; but, it looks like I have more than one "special someone" in my life now, baa-chan._

 _If it's not too much trouble, could you please come here with Gamaharu? I don't know how long they've been sleeping in that ship of theirs, and even though they look human, they're still aliens. It'd probably be a good idea for you to look them over, considering how you're the best ninja doctor I know, and all._

 _Hope to see you here._

 _Naruto"_

Sighing to herself, the Hokage ran a hand through her hair tiredly. However, a bemused smile was on her face as she commented, "Nothing can ever be simple with you, can it, brat?"

"Naruto-san has tasked me with taking you to the Hidden Whirlpool whenever you're ready, Lady Tsunade. Our departure is up to you," Gamaharu informed the busty blonde.

"Well, I suppose there's no time like the present. Besides, visiting the brat and his possible harem sure beats the hell out of doing paperwork." While she was amused, she also couldn't help but think that Jiraiya was somehow responsible for things turning out like this with Naruto. She hoped that her loveable idiot didn't pick up any of the _perverted_ idiot's quirks.

One "Super Pervert" was more than enough, thank you.

 **(-)**

Naruto sat on a smoothed-out rock on the beach next to the ship, watching Kusano collect seashells with a smile. "Look! This one's really pretty!" she cheered as she ran up to him, her small dress billowing in the sea breeze.

He took it from her and looked it over, admiring the spiraling design and the ironically red colors. "Yeah, it is. Good find, Kusano-chan."

She beamed at the praise, and she blushed when he reached over and ruffled her head. Whenever he did, it made her feel warmth through their bond. "I'll keep looking for more of them, onii-chan!"

He smiled once again at her innocence, being reminded of when she started calling him that. She had woken up from her short rest after gaining her wings, and she met her other sisters. At first, she was shy, but they welcomed her openly; save for Karasuba who seemed fine standing off on her own.

Yume was especially happy to meet Kusano, hugging the little girl close and spinning her around joyfully as they both laughed. The moment made Miya smile, happy that her fellow Sekirei were getting along well enough.

Like Karasuba, Akitsu didn't seem to do so well in crowds; even if the crowd was made up of her sisters. She preferred to stay by Naruto's side, as close as possible so that she could feel the full effects of the bond they had. Naruto had spent quite a bit of time assuring her that she wasn't dreaming, learning that she had many nightmares during her forced slumber about meeting an Ashikabi only to be left alone and unwanted.

That fear resonated with Naruto deeply, and he made her a promise that he'd be there for her if she ever needed him. She refused to leave his side after Kusano was introduced to the group.

"Ah, Naruto-sama…"

He sighed softly. "Akitsu-chan, you don't need to call me that. I'm not your master."

"Ah… I know. It's just…habit," she replied.

He smiled at her gently. "I figured… We'll get you out of it someday. What did you need?"

"Ah, Uzume is coming with Kazehana."

Following her pointed finger, he saw the two brunettes heading down the beach. Kazehana had somehow found a sinfully fitting dress of exotic design that showed parts of her bountiful cleavage and left her bellybutton open. Finishing off the look was a ribbon that she used to tie her hair back.

Uzume took some time looking for clothes, feeling guilty when she found a shirt she liked on one of the skeletons. Currently, she wore blue pants and a pink and violet shirt that she stitched a bright gold star into; a star that was displayed perfectly in the center and folded by her breasts. Her hair was partially tied as well, except the tied section was on the left side of her head.

"Hey, girls. What's up?" he greeted.

"We were just looking for you," Kazehana answered, sitting on the sand next to his rock while Uzume chose to drape herself over his shoulders, resting her head next to his.

"Kusano looks like she's having fun," the Veiled Sekirei mused with a smile, watching her youngest sister at play.

"She's starting a seashell collection," Naruto explained, gesturing to the shells that had been placed on his rock. "Some of them are actually pretty cool."

Kazehana reached over and grasped a violet one with an almost tiger fur design with bluish striping. "They _do_ look interesting," she agreed, setting the shell down to admire another.

"What are the others up to?"

"Miya is waiting for that Tsunade lady to arrive," Uzume answered. "Yume was challenged by Karasuba to a spar again."

"Tsukiumi is clearing out one of the larger buildings so that we can renovate it for all of us," Kazehana continued, setting down a plain pink shell. "Yahan decided to go exploring, but she said she'd be back shortly."

"And Matsu is checking the ship for anything worth salvaging," Naruto rounded off, nodding his head to the craft that was swarmed with clones being directed by the Wisdom Sekirei. "She's also looking to see if there's a way to safely move the other Sekirei out of the ship."

"Ah… Doubtful," Akitsu spoke up, earning the attention of the other three. "The ship powers the tanks, and that keeps the others alive. Matsu should focus on fixing the generator."

"Huh… That's probably for the best," Naruto agreed, forming a clone and repeating the suggestion before dispelling it, letting his other clones know. "Nice job, Akitsu-chan."

The Ice Sekirei blushed beautifully at the praise, a faint smile on her face at the warmth the bond gave her. "Ah… Happy…"

He chuckled at that before he looked back towards the village briefly. "Kusano, it's time to head back!"

Stopping what she was doing, Kusano dropped the plain blue shell she had in her hands and quickly moved over to Naruto's side, grabbing his hand so that they could return to the village. "Where are we going, onii-chan?"

"You're going to meet someone I consider my family." He grinned at her and added, "I like to call her my _baa-chan_ , actually."

"Baa-chan?" she repeated.

"It means _Granny_ ," he explained with a devious wink towards the others, making them chuckle. "And she'll be your baa-chan, too!"

She brightened up so much that a tree next to her grew exponentially. "Really?"

"You bet!" he assured, ignoring the enlarged tree. He'd been shocked at first, but now it was simply something he accepted as part of his youngest Sekirei. "Why don't we go see her?"

She nodded eagerly, accepting being picked up by him and going off on an excited tangent that was said at high speed. Kazehana and Uzume chuckled at the young Sekirei's enthusiasm while Akitsu grasped Naruto's free hand with a smile.

 **(-)**

For Tsunade, it was both humbling and saddening to see her grandmother's old village in the state it was. Truly, war and time were powerful forces against even the strongest of places. She took a moment to look around before she turned her attention to a purple haired woman dressed in what she guessed was a priestess outfit.

The woman bowed to her in greeting. "Welcome to the Hidden Whirlpool, Lady Tsunade. My name is Miya Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki?" the Hokage repeated with a raised brow. "I doubt that you share our blood."

"You're correct on that. However, seeing as Naruto-kun is someone I've entrusted my heart and life to, it's only fitting that I adopt his name to showcase our bond."

"Well, maybe we can talk about a legitimate wedding for the future," the blonde replied in amusement, sharing a small laugh with the Sekirei Pillar. "So, where is the brat, anyway?"

"He should be arriving shortly," Miya answered, leading Tsunade towards the beach. "He's been a wonderful Ashikabi thus far, welcoming and accepting us all openly. The bond we have is continuously warm and bright, despite what he's had to endure in his life."

"You're pretty open about this, aren't you?"

"I assumed that Naruto-kun has told you much about how he found us and my awakening. Was I wrong?"

Shaking her head, Tsunade answered, "No, you weren't wrong. He even admitted that you were quite beautiful, Miya-san."

The Sekirei smiled softly at that, a twinge of pink on her cheeks. "Such a flattering Ashikabi…"

"Someone talking about me?" a familiar voice called out, prompting the two women to turn and see Naruto heading for them, Kusano held in one arm and Akitsu gripping his other hand. Kazehana and Uzume trailed after them, giving Miya a simple wave that she returned.

Tsunade was more focused on her brat, her eyes wide at the sight of him holding a child while a beautiful woman stood beside him. If she didn't know any better, she would've guessed that the two were a couple and the little girl was their child. She shook out of her stupor just in time to accept an embrace from her loveable idiot, the little girl standing next to Miya while the brunette stood a few steps away from them.

"It's been awhile, baa-chan. It's great to see you."

Despite her annoyance at that insufferable nickname, she smiled in the embrace. "I've missed you too, brat." She pulled away and gave him an amused look that he immediately blushed at. "So…alien women, huh?"

"Pretty unbelievable, huh?" he replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "But, I believe them, and I've promised to help them out. That's why I asked for you to come here. Do you think you could give them all a checkup, just to be safe?"

She regarded the Sekirei, receiving a nod from Miya to show her acceptance. "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll just need to check them all one at a time. Do you want me to start with the girl?" she asked, gesturing to Kusano.

"That'll be fine," Naruto answered, beckoning the young girl over. When she got close, Naruto gently grabbed her hand and introduced, "Kusano-chan, this is Tsunade-baa-chan."

Tsunade's brow twitched at that before she noticed Kusano looking at her in slight wonder. "Baa-chan is so pretty," the little Sekirei declared, effectively melting the older blonde's heart.

"Oh, aren't you just the sweetest thing," she couldn't help cooing, picking up Kusano with absolute care. "You know, I think I'll like you more than the brat there."

"Oi!" Naruto cried indignantly.

Kusano giggled at that, making her Ashikabi pout. This made her reach over and pat his whiskered cheek, getting a smile and chuckle out of the Uzumaki.

"So, I'll get started on their checkups. You go gather the rest, brat."

"Will do," he replied, waving to his Sekirei before sending a clone to the beach. He went further into the village, sighing at a section where the ground had become wet and muddy. Following the water trail, he arrived at a rather large home that looked to be just the right size for him and his Sekirei. "Tsukiumi? Could you come out here?"

"Husband?" she replied from within the building, stepping outside a few moments later.

Like her sisters, she had found some clothes to wear that consisted of a white dress that was dangerously short and hugged her form wonderfully, black leggings within brown boots, and a black overdress that was left open. Like him, she had bright blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

However, unlike everyone else, she had a rather eccentric way of speaking.

"Art thou alright?" she asked in concern.

He gave her an easygoing smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know that baa-chan was here and that she's going to give you and your sisters a checkup; just to make sure you're all healthy. Staying in those tanks for who knows how long might've left some health issues, y'know?"

She hummed in agreement. "Yes, thou dost indeed have a point. But before that," she turned to face the building she had been clearing, "what dost thou think of this building. I believe it to be a suitable size for us."

"I agree," he answered truthfully. "It's definitely big enough. I'll have some clones help you finish up after baa-chan checks you over."

"Is she truly thy grandmother, husband? She seemeth to me to be quite young for such a relationship."

"By blood? No, she's not. But, she's looked out for me and cares for me like a mother would. I've met my mother though, and don't be fooled by Tsunade's appearance; she _is_ old enough to be a grandmother. So, I call her baa-chan to both tease her and show her how much I appreciate her."

She smiled at him. "Thy heart is always displaying a warmth I cannot fathom…"

"I just don't want the past to weigh me down; or weigh down those I care about. And I care about all of you."

She blushed at his words, and the blush grew when he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "H-Husband…"

"I hope that you all will be happy here, Tsukiumi-chan. I want to try and make a life here, to rebuild this place so that the other Sekirei – when they wake up – always have a place to come to."

Her heart was pounding at the sincerity of his words and the warmth of their bond, and she reacted by turning to him and kissing him deeply, showing her Ashikabi how much she loved him. When they pulled away, she gazed into his eyes adoringly and whispered, "I am indeed blessed beyond measure to have thee as my Ashikabi, Naruto-kun…"

He could only grin bashfully at her words, enjoying the love he felt radiating from her.

 **(-)**

"Hold still, dammit!" Karasuba yelled as she swung an old sword at Yume, who batted it away with the back of her hand and retaliated with a straight punch that the Black Sekirei leapt back from. She glared at the rusty weapon before tossing it aside angrily. "This thing is trash…"

"The weapon does not make the warrior, Karasuba," Yume stated.

Both women were dressed in matching black clothes that they had adopted from what looked to be twin skeletons. They consisted of black tops that hugged their figures and black miniskirts with matching stockings. Karasuba chose to add a dark gray cloak to her look to stand out from Yume, liking how it fit, while Yume wore black gloves to protect her hands.

"Yeah yeah…" the silver-haired woman replied, waving her off before she caught sight of their Ashikabi. "Something wrong?"

"It wounds me that you all like to ask that first whenever I come find you," he replied with a pout that made Karasuba roll her eyes while Yume giggled.

"What did you need, Naruto-kun?" the Sekirei of Fate asked.

"Tsunade-baa-chan is here, and I asked her to give you and the others basic checkups, just in case."

"In case of what? I feel fine, Whiskers," Karasuba declared.

"And you look fine," that made her smirk, "but that's on the outside." And the smirk was gone. "We don't know if staying in those tanks for so long affected your health. Look at Matsu; she had to find some glasses to see. I'm willing to bet it could've been from staying in her tank too long."

"Naruto-kun, it's sweet that you're so worried about us; but the technology on that ship was designed to keep us safe and healthy until we were awakened," Yume explained.

"That may be true, but don't forget that your ship crashed and got damaged. We don't know the extent of that damage."

"He's got a point," Karasuba conceded. "If something's effecting me and my ability to fight, then I want it taken care of."

Yume shrugged with a smile. "Fine by me. I was simply saying that we should be fine."

"I know, but I just want to be sure," Naruto insisted.

Her smile remained as she moved over to him, kissing him on the cheek. "It's wonderful how much you worry about us, Naruto-kun. I'll go see Tsunade-san now."

"Thank you, Yume-chan."

She nodded and walked off, leaving Naruto alone with Karasuba. "Don't ever tell anyone about this," she ordered.

"About what-?" he tried to ask before she captured his lips with her own.

When she pulled back, she was looking off to the side with a faint blush. "…It's nice feeling how much you care," she admitted softly. "Thank you…"

He smiled and brought her into his arms, making her sputter. "I'll always care about you and the others, Karasuba-chan… You're all precious to me."

Her heart resonated with his words and she allowed herself to relax in his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder. She may enjoy fighting and the rush it gave, but she enjoyed the love she felt from her Ashikabi more.

 **(-)**

"Okay, Yahan," Naruto called out, having spent almost half an hour trying to locate her. "I'll admit you're better at stealth than me, so can you please come out?"

He felt a shift in the air behind him and saw the Sekirei in question rising out of his own shadow. She was the only Sekirei of his – as they liked to playfully call – "flock" that had dark skin. She had jet black hair and wore black clothing to help with her stealth; considering how her power was based around the shadows, almost like the Nara Clan.

For her choice of clothes, she wore a black bikini top beneath a small hooded shawl, a sarong with a buckle belt to hold it closed, and knee-high leather boots. It really helped with her "mysterious beauty" appearance.

"I was wondering when you'd concede, Naruto-kun," she teased, moving close enough to drape her arms over his shoulders. Her dark violet eyes gazed into his blue orbs with open affection. "Your island is really beautiful, y'know. Even the places hidden in shadows have a certain brilliance to them."

"Glad you approve," he returned, giving her his signature grin. "I'm pretty proud of my ancestral home."

"You should be. So, I already know about this Tsunade woman looking us over. I was in your shadow for about an hour now."

"Why wait for so long then?"

"I just wanted to see how you'd go about trying to find me," she confessed with a roguish grin. "I'm honestly surprised that you didn't swarm the island with clones. I'm sure you could pull it off."

"Maybe, but I had a feeling I'd find you without so many extra sets of eyes. Besides, it's nice to talk with you all personally than just receive a memory of the moment."

"Aww, how sweet of you, Ashikabi-kun," she cooed teasingly, pecking his lips. "It really is, though. We're lucky to have you."

"Many of you have said the same thing," he pointed out.

"Which only goes to show just how true it is," she quipped back without pause. "Now, are you going to be a gentleman and lead me to our personal doctor, or do I have to do all the work and get us there?"

He shook his head at her teasing, offering her his arm before leading her back to the others.

 **(-)**

"Well, considering how long they've been resting – I'd even go so far as to call it some sort of medical coma – they all seem healthy from what I can diagnose," Tsunade told Naruto, enjoying some Mt. Myoboku sake that Naruto gave her as thanks. "And before you ask, Matsu's eyes were already that bad. She told me during the checkup."

"Well, that's a relief," he sighed out. "I was worried they might not be okay…"

"They're fine. Though, I'm surprised at how deeply this bond you have with them has rooted. It's almost like you've known and loved them for years; not just a couple of days."

He nodded in understanding. "It still surprises me too. I mean, I _know_ that it hasn't been long; but, I can easily ignore that fact since I can _feel_ how much they matter to me. I can also partially feel how much I matter to them."

"And how do you feel about all of this?" she asked, gesturing to everything around them. "Finding this place, finding them, and waking some of them up?"

"I still think that I'm in some bizarre dream that I'm going to wake up from. Akitsu felt the same way, and it took me a long time to convince her that I was real… I wonder if she's not fully convinced like I am…"

Patting him on the shoulder, Tsunade replied, "Trust me, brat; this is all very real. And you seem so much happier than I've seen you before. I'm proud of you."

"For what? Accidentally stumbling into all of this?"

"Yes," she answered immediately, catching him off guard. "You rush into things so much that I was worried you'd someday end up in some situation where you were in over your head. But instead, you rolled with this strange moment of good fortune and wound up a happier man in the outcome. So, yes; I'm proud of you for being the lucky dunce that you always have been."

He shared a laugh with her, accepting a dish of sake and taking a sip. "…I want to rebuild this place, baa-chan. I promises Miya and the others that I would; so that the others could have a home when they wake up."

"It's a tall order, brat. You're not just repairing a home; you're repairing a village. Are you up to it? what about everyone else back in the Leaf?"

"I know that it might look like I'm forsaking everyone, but this is something that I know in my heart that I have to do," he answered, turning to look at her. "The Sekirei… They need a place where they could be safe. What if someone else found them and used their abilities to wreak havoc? They've done nothing to deserve that, and I want to give them a chance to decide for themselves what they want to do with their lives. I want them to have the chance to find their Ashikabi and live in peace." He turned back to the beach, watching the waves roll onto the shore as the sunset gave the waters a magnificently orange glow. "It's like Yume-chan said: everyone deserves to find love…"

She smiled at him, seeing the glow of the setting sun reflected in his azure orbs. "…You would've made a wonderful Hokage, brat."

He chuckled. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, and I'm sorry about this."

"Don't be," she assured him. "The way I see it, the Uzumaki used to be an ally of the Hidden Leaf, and we never really did anything to honor their passing except put their symbol on our uniforms. I think that it's more than fitting for you – one of the _last_ Uzumaki and a native of the Leaf – to restore that old relationship. I'll speak with my Council about your choice and my agreement to it. Until I get back to you, keep up the good work."

"I will," he promised determinedly.

"Good." Standing up, she didn't react to Gamaharu jumping on her shoulder. "I'd better get back to the village before they freak out. I'll see you again as soon as I can."

"Looking forward to it, baa-chan," he bid, watching her leave in a burst of smoke. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it," Miya asked, stepping out from an empty building she had been eavesdropping from. She took a seat next to him and grasped his hand. "You know that we'd follow you if you chose to return to the Leaf, right?"

"I do, but I know that there are people there who would love nothing more than take advantage of you or lock you away to be studied. I won't let that happen; not while I'm still breathing."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you, Naruto-kun…"

"Anytime, Miya-chan. Now, what do you say we get started on rebuilding this place for real?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, my Ashikabi."

 **(-)**

 **Phew! That took a while, but it's done!**

 **How did it look? Are you excited for more? I hope you are!**

 **Now, in case you need a reminder, Naruto's flock is thusly:**

 **Miya, Matsu, Kazehana, Karasuba, Akitsu, Yume, Tsukiumi, Uzume, Yahan, and Kusano-chan**

 **He will not be winging anymore in the future, and he will not have any human women in his harem. So, please don't ask me to add certain people to either the flock or harem. It's set and done!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	3. Chapter 3: Dawn of the New Whirlpool

**Here comes the next chapter!**

 **First, I need you all to know the results of a poll I posted concerning how Kusano-chan will eventually see Naruto. The winner was "Eventual Lover (Naruto-kun)".**

 **THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!**

 **Disclaimer: This FanFiction is a nonprofit creation using concepts and elements from source material that do not belong to me. All rights reserved for the creators of said source material.**

\\-/

 _A Fox and His Wagtails_

 _Chapter Three: Dawn of the New Whirlpool_

\\-/

Tsunade smiled as she read the current letter from her loveable idiot, Naruto. It had been a little over a year since she had saw him in the Hidden Whirlpool and got her first impressions of the Sekirei that had bonded to him.

The letter was mainly a status update on the rebuilding efforts of the once revered village. Thanks to Naruto's heroics during his early years as a ninja, he had received help from various parts of the world from people who hoped to pay him back.

The Land of Waves, the Hidden Sand, the Land of Spring, and the Crescent Moon Kingdom all contributed to Naruto's self-appointed endeavor. With their support, Naruto's liberal use of clones and fūinjutsu, and the Sekirei themselves, the Hidden Whirlpool hit the ground running with its restoration. Some of the inhabitants of the other countries had even requested to live in the village, finding it to be a peaceful location to reside.

Thanks to Naruto's friendship with Gaara, the Hidden Sand was now allied with the Whirlpool and had started various trade agreements. Tsunade had also spoken with the Clan Heads that made up her Ninja Council, along with the three Elders of the Hidden Leaf. While the Elders were _quite_ vocal about their disagreement, the rest of the Council believed that this decision on Naruto's part was one of his better ones.

It was only Naruto offering to refortify the Leaf's defenses with his fūinjutsu knowledge that eventually won the Elders over; Danzo being the only one not to budge. The man was a fantasist of the Leaf, and he refused to relinquish the "right" the village had over Naruto as their Jinchūriki.

Tsunade was never more grateful than when the Council shot down his proposals of forcibly bringing Naruto back or taking the Kyuubi from him.

"Another letter, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked curiously as she brought the woman a small pile of paperwork.

"It's from the brat. He's telling me about how far the rebuilding efforts have gone," the woman answered. "He also says that he'll be spending a week in the Hidden Sand to finalize another agreement between the villages."

"I'm still surprised how far he's come since you left last year. When you told me what he planned to do, I didn't know how to take it."

"I had a feeling he'd decide to fix up that place after I saw it for myself. It really drove home what could happen to even the strongest of places; especially with war and time breaking them down."

"Is he going to return to the Leaf at all?" Shizune questioned. "I'm sure that his friends miss him, and he must still have some things he's left behind here."

"I spoke to him about that, actually. Once he's done visiting Gaara, he'll spend a few days here so that we could finalize our own agreements and synergy."

A knock at her door prompted the Hokage to grant entrance to Sakura. "I have the files you asked for, Tsunade-sama," the pinkette declared, handing her leader the two stuffed folders. "May I ask why you wanted me to get the medical files for the Fourth and his wife?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about. The files are actually going to be sent to someone."

That made Sakura almost pout, not liking to be left in the dark when she does errands for her instructor for the past three years. "Is it connected to Naruto? The Fourth's wife had the Uzumaki name."

"Again, you don't need to worry about it," Tsunade repeated, her tone firm and telling Sakura to drop the subject.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, showing her displeasure before excusing herself.

Shizune looked worried for a moment and asked, "Are you sure that was necessary, milady? She was one of Naruto's teammates, after all."

"A teammate that was part of a squad doomed to fail," the blonde shot down. "While Jiraiya and Naruto were gone, one of the things I spent a great deal of time on was reading the files concerning Team 7. To put it plainly, the team should've been dropped years ago."

"Surely they couldn't have been _that_ bad?" Shizune tried to defend, only to receive a stern look from her leader.

"Trust me, Shizune; they were _not_ a good fit. Sasuke had personal issues that he allowed to control his actions and critical thinking. His inferiority and superiority complexes made it practically impossible for him to develop any sort of bond with his teammates; especially when Naruto caught up to him in such a short amount of time. It was the reason for their fight years ago on the hospital roof."

The younger woman cringed at that. "But, what about Kakashi? Or Sakura? Plus, I doubt Naruto was the only effective member of the team."

"I'm not saying that the brat was innocent in the team's failings; but his problems were very minimal compared to the others. He was hyperactive and liked to argue with Kakashi, but he still followed orders and did his training; whatever little Kakashi offered him."

"Little?" Shizune repeated.

"According to the reports, Naruto and Sakura received minimal training from Kakashi. Now, I understand where the man was coming from about trying to instill a measure of teamwork between the three of them; but he still should've taught them more individually. From what I've read, Naruto and Sakura were only instructed on basic team building exercises and the surface walking technique for their chakra control. And when Sakura displayed such a high aptitude for control, he never capitalized on it."

"What about Sasuke?"

"I doubt I really need to say much more than the Chidori," Tsunade answered plainly, making Shizune wince and nod in understanding. "As for Sakura, she showed no drive or initiative to train or improve until the failed mission to bring Sasuke back. To be honest, I had high doubts that she would last as long as she did during my training; but, I suppose I shouldn't underestimate how far a foolish girl will go for a boy."

"So…in short, the synergy was never there for Team 7," Shizune summarized.

"It was there for brief periods; namely during the climax of their Wave Mission and during their confrontation with Gaara during the failed invasion. I could also give them the Land of Snow Mission since it was a beneficial success. But, other than those times, the teamwork was rarely there, if at all."

She started to count off, raising one finger.

"Kakashi barely instructed them and was never reprimanded for wasting their time being constantly tardy."

A second finger was raised.

"Sasuke was never a _team player_ and was only focused on a foolish ploy for vengeance."

A third raised finger.

"Sakura showed no drive at all as a kunoichi."

And finally, a fourth finger.

"And Naruto was difficult; though, he put in the most effort."

Shizune frowned sadly at the facts laid out before her. "Is that why you've yet to tell Kakashi or Sakura about Naruto's decision to rebuild the Hidden Whirlpool?"

"Among other things, yes. I'll be speaking with Jiraiya more about this when he arrives."

\\-/

Walking around the mostly restored buildings of the Hidden Whirlpool was Naruto Uzumaki, accompanied by two of his Sekirei; Miya and Kusano. As he passed workers and future citizens, he received warm greetings and friendly waves that he returned happily, feeling a sense of joy that he had longed to see back in the Leaf.

The village had bloomed from the weakened bulb it had become after the near genocide of the Uzumaki Clan. Where once there were ruins and overgrown wildlife, there were tall buildings that reached up to five stories, masterfully crafted thanks to Tazuna and his men from Wave. The markets were filled with merchandise generously donated from the Land of Spring and the Crescent Moon Kingdom, and the streets were being patrolled by volunteers from the Hidden Sand.

It was gloriously harmonious, and Naruto couldn't contain the mix of pride and gratitude welling up inside of him. However, the crown jewel of the village was the centermost building, where all his friends from other parts of the world had chipped in. That building was his Command Center, where he could watch over the village and defend both it and its people from those seeking to ruin her once more.

It was the tallest building of the village, ironically reaching nine stories with a large dish that rotated above it; a marvel of science and machinery that had been created when Matsu put Spring Country's top scientists in line. The dish was linked to a satellite that Matsu had developed with a perfect blend of the Sekirei ship and advanced technology from Spring Country.

The funds for the project were provided by the Crescent Moon Kingdom, the building's foundation was formed by Sand ninja, while the building and dish itself were built by Tazuna and Wave. The finishing touch was a seal that Naruto could link into, allowing him to send chakra from the dish to the satellite. The chakra acted like a battery, powering the Command Center and satellite for Matsu to use so that she could view the rest of the Elemental Nations.

And, if it really came down to it, the stored chakra could be sent back down from the satellite, acting as a missile battery. While Naruto was not a fan of that feature, he knew that he would use it if it meant he could save everyone in the village. But, for the time being, it was simply a monitoring area for Matsu's use.

Beneath the Command Center was the edited and finished Transportation Seal that had brought Naruto to the Hidden Whirlpool in the first place. Linked to the dish and satellite, it provided pinpoint accuracy for Naruto's travels; something he hoped would allow him to speak with the other nations and charter a path for potential peace.

He made a promise to Miya that he would give her and her fellow Sekirei a safe place to live; so, it shouldn't be much of a stretch to make the _world_ safe. It wouldn't be easy, but Naruto knew that anything _worth_ pursuing was never easy.

It only made it all the more satisfying when that pursuit succeeded.

Entering the Command Center, Naruto held Kusano's hand as he led her and Miya up to the second level and entered a large room where the leaders of his allies were waiting for him.

He offered them a sheepish smile as Miya led Kusano to the other side of the room. "Sorry for the wait. I was enjoying a walk with Miya-chan and Kusano-chan."

Koyuki, now the Daimyo of Spring Country, chuckled in amusement. "Nothing to worry about, Naruto. We've done well with this place, haven't we?"

"Damn straight, we did," Tazuna spoke up, sounding incredibly proud. "What else would you expect from a super team like us?"

Prince Hikaru, standing in for his father, sighed at the man's exuberance. However, he couldn't fight the smile he had. "I'm just glad that we could finally repay you for saving our kingdom, Naruto-nii. My father will be happy to hear about our progress."

"Be sure to pass along my thanks to him, Hikaru," Naruto requested, getting a nod from the young man. Turning to the others, he added, "That goes for the rest of you. I can't thank you guys enough for helping me with this. I know you think you owed me, but I never wanted to make you feel that way. The way I saw it, I was only doing what I felt was right. But this," he gestured to the windows that displayed the beautiful island village, "has put me in your debt. Thank you."

He surprised them when he bowed from the waist, showing just how grateful he was for their help and contributions. "You owe us nothing," Gaara spoke up, having been silent the whole time. When Naruto stood straight again, he offered the blonde a small smile and continued, "Just as you felt your actions were right, we felt that our help was in the same right."

The other leaders nodded, offering Naruto their own smiles. "I don't think I'll be able to wipe that action out of my head," Koyuki teased. "Naruto Uzumaki _bowing_ to someone… It's almost surreal."

"Funny…" Naruto replied blandly, making the others laugh. He soon joined in while sharing a smile with Miya. "Anyway, if you ever need our help, don't hesitate to send a message."

"I'll remember that," the Spring Daimyo promised as she stood from her seat and shared a hug with the blonde Uzumaki. Stepping away from the man, she offered him one last smile and left the room, turning to share a look with Miya. _'You've won the heart of a real man, Miya-san… I honestly find myself wishing I had noticed whatever you did sooner. Maybe I could've been as happy as he obviously makes you.'_

Hikaru got out of his seat and shared a handshake with Naruto, only to be surprised when the blonde pulled him into a brotherly hug. "Take care of yourself and your old man, Hikaru. You've made your grandfather proud; I can feel it."

He nodded with a determined smile. "I think so, too… I'll keep making him proud," he declared before he left.

"Well," Tazuna began, sliding his seat back so he could stand, "I'd better make sure the last buildings are on the right track. After that, I'll be heading back home."

"Give Tsunami and Inari my regards, you old drunk," the Uzumaki bid, sharing a firm handshake with the Super Bridge Builder.

"I will. Just know that our door is always open whenever you feel like visiting," the man replied before clapping the blonde on his shoulder and leaving the room.

With everyone else gone, Gaara got out of his own seat. "Whenever you're ready, we should get to the Hidden Sand. I need to let my Council know about the success we've had with this restoration effort."

"Plus, we still need to finalize those last few agreements," Naruto added, earning a nod from his pseudo-brother. He slowly grinned at the redhead and continued, "So…how have the Twins been settling in your village?"

Gaara's cheeks _barely_ showed his blush, and he gave a small cough to compose himself. "They're…doing well. Though, they like to complain about the heat."

"They're happy, at least. And so are you, right?" Naruto asked.

At that, Gaara smiled faintly with a fond look in his eyes. "Yes… I can say that we're all quite happy together."

"Just be careful, Gaara-san," Miya spoke up, earning the attention of the redhead and her Ashikabi. "Hikari and Hibiki can be pretty stubborn at times. And like a flash of lightning, their emotions can spark without warning."

"I'll be sure to remember that; but, I still care for them."

She smiled at his sincerity. "That's all I can ask."

Turning back to his spiritual brother, Gaara said, "We should get going."

"Yep. Just let me send a clone to get Kara-chan and Akitsu-chan," Naruto replied, creating a pair of clones to find the Sekirei in question. With that done, he led his closest friend to the lower section of the building while pressing a finger to beneath his earlobe. "Matsu, Gaara and I are going to be using the Transportation Seal soon. Karasuba and Akitsu will be going with us."

 _"Roger that, Naru-tan. Bring back a souvenir!"_ the Wisdom Sekirei replied from her end.

He chuckled and asked, "Anything particular?"

 _"Ooh! See if they have any more of Pervy Sage's books!"_

A massive sweatdrop formed behind his head. "…I refuse to actively look for that."

 _"B-But, Naru-tan~!"_ she whined pitifully. _"I only wanted to experiment with you! You know that this hot body of mine can only be cooled by your DNA! And those books help me come up with more ideas~!"_

His whole face erupted into a deep shade of red as he cut the connection. "Matsu-san again?" Gaara asked knowingly, smirking at his brother.

"…Shut up," Naruto answered, fighting his blush.

"I still find it interesting how one of your Sekirei is as perverted as Jiraiya-sama."

The Uzumaki sighed in comical defeat, a dark cloud forming over his slumped posture. "Sometimes…Matsu-chan scares me…"

This got Gaara to actually chuckle. "To think that one of the bravest men I know is afraid of a perverted woman."

"Keep going, Gaara… We'll see who laughs last after I share a few _things_ with the Twins," Naruto warned.

"…You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Both Jinchūriki stared one another down as Karasuba and Akitsu entered the lower level. They watched with interest as their Ashikabi had a deadlocked stare with his brother, and Karasuba smirked at the slight tension in the air.

"Truce?" Gaara suggested.

Smiling victoriously, Naruto replied, "You read my mind, Gaara."

With that, they stepped into the center of the sealing array while the two Sekirei stood beside their Ashikabi. Akitsu, having not seen her Ashikabi for most of the day, hugged his arm and leaned against him. "Ah… I missed you, Naruto-kun…"

He gave her a smile as he started pouring chakra into the seal. "I missed you too, Akitsu-chan."

Karasuba huffed with crossed arms, only to blush when she felt her Ashikabi put his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer.

"I missed you too, Kara-chan. And don't worry; we'll have a spar when I have free time."

She kept her arms crossed and huffed again. "I'll hold you to that, Whiskers." He then heard her murmur, "It'd better be a _private_ spar…"

He chuckled softly and leaned over to whisper, "I'll do my best."

She blushed brighter just as the seal finished powering up and swallowed the four of them in a space-time swirl.

\\-/

"I was wondering why the Toads were so hush-hush about his location," Jiraiya sighed out as he accepted a dish of sake from Tsunade. "To think he had made such progress in fūinjutsu, and right under my nose."

"You weren't focusing on him enough; something this training trip was approved for," she reminded with narrowed eyes. "What was the point of taking him away from the village if you were more concerned about being on the move and checking on your spy network?"

"I was hoping to get him to master his basics and start seriously training him on using the chakra of the Kyuubi."

"Something you have zero experience in, I need to remind you. How could you possibly hope to train him to use something you've never had for yourself? You've only witnessed a Jinchūriki giving into their Bijuu on the battlefield; not them staying in control of that power."

"I would've figured out something. I could've used his attempts at control to develop a seal to support Minato's, allowing Naruto clearer access to the Kyuubi's chakra."

She snorted at that. "You're a damned fool if you really believe that. Kushina never used the fox's power unless she was pushed into a corner. That's why she worked her ass off all the time; so that she wouldn't need to be in that position ever again. Why do you think she redoubled her fūinjutsu studies when I told her she was pregnant with Naruto?"

"This is different! Kushina never had an organized group after her!"

"True, she didn't," Tsunade conceded, earning a firm nod from Jiraiya. "But…just as Kushina worked herself to the bone for those she loved, Naruto has done that and more. He rebuilt a village with people who believe in him, all for the sake of the people he loves. And he did all of this without relying on the fox at all."

"His own power will only get him so far, Tsunade…"

"Do you really have so little faith in him?" she fired back harshly, glaring at him. "If so, then I'm glad that he was able to get away from you. Someone with his level of potential doesn't need to be weighed down by the lack of faith of his so-called family."

He glared back. "Take that back."

"What? Can't accept the fact that you failed as his godfather?" she challenged. "I've accepted my own failures when he opened my eyes, and I'm doing all I can to make sure I don't fail again. What have you done?"

His glare deepened, and the two Sannin almost looked ready to duke it out in the village. Thankfully, Shizune walked in with a scroll, cutting the tension enough for them to back down.

"Where is he?" Jiraiya ground out.

"His location is none of your concern. All you need to know is that he's fine and safe," Tsunade answered, accepting the scroll from her first apprentice. Opening it, she looked over the message before nodding with a pleased smile. "Seems like the finalization of our three-way alliance is about to get underway."

"That's wonderful news, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied with her own smile. "Shouldn't you be there, though?"

"I'll be leaving shortly, actually. Gamaharu!"

The toad in question leapt onto the windowsill at Tsunade's call. "Ready to depart, Tsunade-sama?"

The blonde Hokage ignored the surprised look on her old teammate's face as she replied, "Yes, I am. Please, escort me to the Hidden Sand."

"Right away, ma'am," the female toad saluted before she hopped onto Tsunade's shoulder.

"Jiraiya," the woman began, "I expect you to keep an eye on the village during my absence. Understand?"

He frowned at her, wanting to demand her to have him come along. However, the stern look on her face and the memories of how Naruto had lost trust in him cut down his voice. Instead, he straightened himself and nodded. "I'll take care of it."

She nodded back before she and Gamaharu left in a burst of smoke.

\\-/

The evening following Naruto and Tsunade meeting with Gaara found the blonde Uzumaki sitting on the rooftop of the hotel he was staying at. It was amusing to him that Gaara had booked him into the very room he had attempted the first version of his Transportation Seal; the one that started his journey of building a sanctuary for the Sekirei people.

Akitsu and Karasuba were both asleep, waiting for him to return to bed; but he was too awake to fall asleep. Instead, he wanted to speak with the two women that had brought happiness to his brother's life.

 _'Speak of the devils,'_ he mused, sensing the women in question before they landed on the rooftop behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he offered them a welcoming smile and beckoned them over.

Sekirei #11 and Sekirei #12 were known as the Lightning Twins, according to Miya. The title was spot-on for they were identical in almost every way – save for bust size – and they both had power over electricity.

Both Sekirei were slender women with long black hair and hazel eyes. To help others tell them apart – so that people wouldn't have to check breast size to tell – Hikari (#11) wore mainly dark blue-violet clothes while Hibiki (#12) wore maroon-purple clothes. Both had a sharp wit and shocking personalities; something Naruto found ironically obvious.

"Thanks for coming to see me," he greeted. "I was hoping to ask how things are going here in the Hidden Sand. Gaara seems happier since the last time I saw him."

Hikari smirked at that while Hibiki smiled softly. "It's been an adjustment, for sure," the older twin answered.

"But," Hibiki continued, "we're just as happy as Gaara-sama that we reacted to him. We can tell that he has a great deal of respect for you, and that you were a major influence on changing who he used to be."

"I couldn't accept how someone like me could live a cold and lonely life," Naruto replied, remembering his fight with Gaara over three years ago. "It hurt to see him in the pain he was… So, I did everything I could to help him see that there were people willing to show him that he didn't need to be alone anymore."

The twins smiled at their Ashikabi's brother. "I think I can see why Gaara-sama holds you in such high esteem," Hikari noted.

"It's definitely easier to see compared to the memory flashes we saw when he first winged us. Right, sister?"

"Definitely."

They both regarded Naruto and stated, "Thank you, Naruto-san."

"No need for any of that. Gaara and I are practically mirrors of one another. I'm sure that if the roles were reversed, he would've done the same for me."

The nodded in agreement, turning to look at the nighttime desert sky alongside the blonde Uzumaki. "As much as I complain about the desert," Hikari spoke up, "I can't deny the view we get at night."

"It's gorgeous… I can see us really making a life here with Gaara-sama," Hibiki agreed.

"Almost reminds me of the view we get in the Whirlpool," Naruto mused, getting two elbows in the ribs by the Twins. "Oi! What was that for?"

"This is Gaara-sama's home," Hibiki began.

"Which makes it our home, as well, Blondie," Hikari continued.

They both then raised sparking hands and concluded, "So, we will defend it from naysayers like you."

Naruto sweatdropped at the dual front he was facing and backed down with an awkward chuckle. "N-No need for that now, girls. I'll keep my mouth shut."

They shared a look before killing the electrical charges in their hands; both Sekirei looking pleased with their "victory". This just made Naruto's sweatdrop double in size.

The Twins would've continued the banter, but they stopped short and turned to one of the walls of the village. Floating above some of the buildings was a large white bird with undetailed features; looking much too fake to be real. Narrowing their eyes, they both stood up and took off after the bird while Naruto frowned at it and had a clone go gather Karasuba and Akitsu.

Pressing the earpiece connected to the Command Center, he called out, "Matsu. Give me a reading on the Hidden Sand. There's a strange bird flying around that's way too big to be natural."

He heard her give a cute yawn from her end. _"On it, Naru-tan… I wish you'd wake me up for_ other reasons _, though…"_

"I know," he replied with a faint smile. "I'll make it up to you when we get back home."

 _"You'd better, buster,"_ she threatened _non_ -threateningly. After a minute, she spoke again, _"Looks like it's one of those Akatsuki guys that you and Tsunade warned us about. It's some blonde guy wearing their uniform."_

"Any other Akatsuki in the area? They normally work in pairs," Naruto pressed as he started leaping towards the fight the Twins had started with the Akatsuki member. Based on the sand streams shooting across the sky, it was obvious that Gaara had joined in on the fight.

 _"Got him! There's a hunched Akatsuki member at the entrance of the village with one of the Sand Ninja. Possibly a traitor."_

"Understood. I'll head over there now with Kara and Akitsu," Naruto informed his second Sekirei just as the Black Sekirei and Ice Sekirei landed beside him. "We got a fight coming our way, ladies."

"Really~?" Karasuba purred out, gripping the sword sheathed in her left hand excitedly. "About time I got to test this thing out."

"Ah… Dangerous?" Akitsu asked her Ashikabi.

"It's one of the Akatsuki. Gaara and the Twins are handling the other over there."

His two Sekirei briefly glanced at the aerial battle taking place nearly on the other side of the Hidden Sand. "Hmm… Let's hope they leave the bastard alive for questioning," Karasuba mused. "I doubt I'll be able to hold myself back in our fight."

"Try to, at least," Naruto requested as the three of them landed before the hunched Akatsuki member and the traitorous Sand Ninja. "Sorry, but I won't let you and your partner get your hands on my friend."

A gruff sigh was the missing ninja's response. "It seems I'll be wasting time with you and these women… How annoying…"

From beneath the cloak, behind the Akatsuki member, a long tail with a large blade snaked out and swayed behind him, poising itself to strike. The Sand Ninja would've joined in, but Akitsu literally froze him in place while leaving his head free.

"Ah… Traitor restrained, Naruto-sama," she declared softly.

"Nice job," he praised, never taking his eyes from the Akatsuki.

"An Ice Style user and _Naruto_ , huh? As in the Uzumaki brat who Itachi told us holds the Kyuubi?" He hummed with a bobbing nod. "I see… Perhaps this won't be such a waste of my time after all. Allow me to inform you of who you'll be facing. I am Sasori of the Red Sands."

"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki of the New Whirlpool," the whiskered blonde returned, pressing his hand against his chest and activating a seal that covered him in a burst of smoke.

When it cleared, he was no longer in his orange and black clothes. Instead, he was dressed in a black bodysuit beneath segmented crimson armor that bore the Uzumaki Swirl in gold on the back. This was the standard armor of the Uzumaki Clan that was also used by the Senju Clan. And at his waist was a sheathed katana that he slowly withdrew.

Karasuba did the same, holding her own katana lazily in her hand while a bloodthirsty grin formed on her face. Akitsu didn't change her expression and simply lowered herself into a ready stance as the air around her cooled significantly.

"Well, let's not waste any more time," Sasori began, his bladed tail swaying behind him. "Let's begin, boy."

"Bring it, ttebayo!"

/-\

 **Heh… Cliffhangers. I'm just the worst, aren't I?**

 **At any rate, that's the end of this third chapter! Hope it turned out well enough for you!**

 **Just a reminder, Kusano-chan will eventually be involved with Naruto romantically since that option was the winner of the poll.**

 **As for the "Satellite Chakra Cannon"… I'm guessing I may have mixed responses about that. Let me just say that Naruto is the kind of person who will do everything he possibly could for the people he loves. He would sacrifice his life for them; but he knows that it may not be enough.**

 **This is why he and his allies developed the cannon. If Naruto's sacrifice wasn't enough, then the cannon would be the last resort.**

 **However, that's not to say that it is the ONLY thing that was developed into the defenses of the New Hidden Whirlpool. After all, Naruto is an aspiring Seal Master who found the Sacred Scroll of his people.**

 **Who knows what else he developed during his time in his ancestral home?** _ ***evil grin***_

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


End file.
